Fallen
by LGraceT
Summary: Alduin. You know him as the World-Eater, the Destroyer. Feared and hated by all, he schemes to dominate the world of Nirn. How did he become the monster that threatened Tamriel? What happened before he developed a hunger for the world? His history has been lost in the mist of time. Until now. The answers will be revealed...
1. Prologue

Silence. The world had suddenly settled to a deathly silence. I let out an earth-shattering roar as the driving rain battered my wings, trickled off of my scales, washed my midnight-black claws clean of the dark, sticky blood. I had to kill the silence…to distract myself…to take my mind off of what I had done.

The dragon lay in front of me, blood still gushing out of the long gash in his belly, turning the long, tan grass around him a deep red. His golden scales were quickly fading to a dull brown as the life left his body, and his sides heaved with each shallow breath he drew. One of his golden-brown wings hung at an odd angle from his body.

 _Broken._

I gasped in horror as the light faded from his emerald-green eyes. _Those eyes..._ The two cloudy circles stared lifelessly at me.

 _Staring into my very soul!_

I quickly tried to avert my eyes, but the spell had captured my mind. My eyes were now locked with his. My first kill.

 _How did it feel, my claws against his belly? What was it like for his soul to separate from his body? What was it like...to die?_

In a daze, I rolled the body onto its back, still staring into the eyes of the fallen dragon.

 _Don't look there! Close your eyes! Watch the rain fall, the grass bend in the wind! Anything but those eyes!_

 _"Yol-toor-_ shul!" I watched as fire shot from my mouth onto the corpse, crackling as it consumed the cold flesh and climbed the four long, mud-brown horns sticking out from the dead dragon's head. The deep-throated bellow of my voice surprised me.

 _It sounds like my voice...and yet...doesn't. Something is there that wasn't before, or...is something missing?_

I shook myself before spreading my dark wings in the storm. As I pushed myself off of the ground with my two legs, I stole a final glance at the carcass. The fire had completely burned the flesh, leaving behind smoldering, black bones. The empty sockets in the skull seemed to give an eerie, green glow, still staring.

 _Staring at me!_

I quickly flapped my wings until I soared into the pale gray sky, not thinking about where they would carry me. I saw nothing, felt nothing, except for the cold stare of my fellow _dovah's_ eyes.


	2. Chapter 1

"Alduin!" she called out in delight as I landed on the flat stretch of rock jutting out from the side of the largest of the immense, snow-capped mountains that stretched beyond the horizon. _"Drem-yol-lok._ Greetings." The scarlet dragon nudged my chest with her head.

The tiny, fiery-orange flecks on her long, black horns glimmered faintly as a weak flash of sunlight peeked through the clouds for a heartbeat. Her long, black spines rose formidably from the back of her neck to her tail, and her amber eyes carried an unquenchable flame, a wild ferocity, the spirit of a true _dovah_.

 _How did I ever manage to find such a creature?_

I smiled as she stared into my eyes, unable to contain my joy.

 _"Drem-yol-lok,_ Brityolvahdin," I replied.

 _As soon as I'm worthy of you, I promise you'll be mine._

Brityolvahdin's fiery scales had entranced me since my days as a youngling. My frequent invitations for her to join me on a hunt gradually became daylong flights, followed by my stuttered confession after another afternoon flight.

"I-I love you," I had whispered that night, intense heat coursing through my entire body like a flame.

"Oh, Alduin, I've known since we were younglings," she had laughed. "I've actually wanted to tell you the same thing..."

 _Her eyes were so bright, reflecting the moons. And the stars..._

"Where's Bruniikloksivaas? He went hunting for elk with you, didn't he?" Brityolvahdin's questions snapped me from my pleasant memories.

"Brityolvahdin..." I whispered, locking eyes with her. Bile began to rise in my throat, bitter and stinging on the back of my tongue.

 _How can I tell you I killed him? I've promised you so much...a respectable position among our fellow_ dov... _a marriage...all of it gone, if anyone ever found out! If you found out! But then again, Bruniikloksivaas won't get his talons on you..._

Several heartbeats passed before I gave a loud sigh.

"We became separated in the storm. You know how rough the weather can be this time of the year. I'm sure he'll come soon."

 _Liar! You filthy liar!_

"I'll stay out here and watch for him. Oh, Alduin, I just remembered. The _Kruziikke,_ the Ancients... They wish to see you." Brityolvahdin turned her head to the gigantic, black mountain towering over the distant plains. "You've been summoned to the Throat of the World. I...I...hope everything goes well. You know that some...never come back." Brityolvahdin stared desperately into my eyes. "Maybe there was a mistake. Maybe they summoned someone else..."

"Oh, you don't want me to leave? Afraid you'll lose me?" I chuckled, giving her a sly, toothy grin.

"I...I..." She whispered, staring at the ground, not daring to look me in the eye. "You just take care of yourself. Promise me... Promise me you'll come back."

"I don't know what will happen, but I promise to do the best I can," I replied as I touched noses with her.

A warm spark seemed to ignite in the depths of my heart as our noses touched, as I felt her warm scales, inhaled her sweet breath.

"Did they say what they wanted?" I asked as she drew her nose away from mine.

"No. A large, green dragon with a sail fin on its back and head landed here while you were hunting with Bruniikloksivaas. He asked for you, and when I told him you weren't here, he took his leave. He had scars all over him. Big, pale, ugly scars. And those yellow eyes! He frightened me, Alduin! Alduin...?"

 _Eyes...eyes..._

The word echoed in my mind, and the image of the two clouded circles devoid of life flashed before me. I gasped as I noticed the warm, red liquid streaming down my claws onto the rock beneath me.

 _Blood...so much blood... I'm standing in a puddle of blood!_

My muscles locked at the sight of a large, red wave in the distance coming for me. The metallic taste of the bloody wave filled my mouth as the world became red.

 _By Akatosh, I'm drowning in blood!_

"Alduin...are you all right?" As Brityolvadin placed her cheek on my shoulder, I gasped.

The bloody ocean engulfing me faded, and the sharp, tangy scent and taste gradually left my nose and mouth. Her worried stare replaced the clouded, demonic gaze of the dead. Shuddering, I gave her a weak smile.

"Yes. I was...thinking...about that dragon that you mentioned. He frightened you?" I growled. "If he dared to-"

"He didn't touch me, but Alduin, please don't go! The... _Krukziikke..._ They're unpredictable at best. Remember the last young dragon to be called to the Throat of the World was brought back in pieces. There was hardly enough of him left to burn and bury!"

I gazed at the fear in her eyes. Black, cold fear.

I felt my own heart race in my chest as I remembered the bloody exhibition of the small heap of blood, bones, and flesh that had been presented to the parents of what had been their only youngling. No one mentioned what the members of the _Kruziikke_ had done to him, but the bloody maws of the lesser members who had brought back the corpse hinted at the brutality that had taken place at the Throat of the World. The mother disappeared only a week after seeing what was left of her son, and the father was summoned to the _Kruziikke_ only three days after his mate's disappearance. Neither of the parents returned. For months after the incident, other _dov_ speculated the father's death, but it was never confirmed.

 _Perhaps he's still there. Maybe they're forcing him to work for them as a servant. I've heard stories about that happening..._

"Maybe...maybe it's best if you hid for a few months. Please, Alduin," Brityolvahdin pleaded, her eyes filled with desperation. "The _Kruziikke..._ they could kill you!"

"I have to go, or else they'll hunt me down and kill not only me, but you, my family, and yours if they found out that you helped in hiding me. You know the law." I spread my wings and quickly rose into the air. "I'm sorry..."

"Then, just be careful!" she called out to me, her voice echoing in the crisp mountain air.

"I will!" I replied. "You'll see me again!"

 _Hopefully in one piece,_ I silently added as I began my journey to the Throat of the World.

I glanced behind my shoulder, catching a final glimpse of her before she faded from my sight.

 _I'm sorry... In more ways than one, I'm so sorry..._


	3. Chapter 2

"Alduin, the _Kruziikke_ are ready to speak with you," a small, dull brown dragon, a _Kruziikke_ servant, mumbled as he alighted on the large, snow-covered boulder beside me.

I could see every rib perfectly outlined through his thin hide. His ebony-black horns had lost their shine long ago, and his voice lacked the deep growl the dov normally carried when they spoke. The power, the authoritative manner... Where was it?

"You were golden once, weren't you?" I whispered, staring into the dragon's eyes.

Bleached, yellow eyes devoid of any light. Cold and lifeless.

The dragon made no sound, only stared emptily at me. Shaking his head fervently at me, he began to back into the frigid rock of the mountain's wall.

"By Akatosh, you're doomed..."

With a final nod of farewell, he lifted himself into the night sky and disappeared.

 _He can't have eaten for at least a few days! What kind of_ dovah _starves its own kind?_

 _What kind of_ dovah _murders its own kind?_ an angry voice in my mind shot back as I nervously climbed the short, steep path in front of me. As I arrived at the top, I heard a thunderous roar echo around the snowy clearing I had entered.

"A dovah as black as night with eyes as red as blood and scales sharp as scythes enters our council! Welcome, Alduin!" A large male dragon landed in the center of the clearing.

His deep violet scales shimmered in the moonlight as he approached me. I stared in awe at his midnight-black horns, claws, and wing-claws. His horns spiraled from his head, as if two tornadoes had touched down on its top and twisted the thorn-sharp, gleaming weapons adorning him. His immense, lavender wings seemed to block out the sky as he stretched them out and raised his head to the dragons circling above us. I almost snickered at the sight of the tiny, black stubs running along his back for spines until I noticed the long, blazing-white spikes formidably sticking out from behind his shoulders.

"I am Tahrodiisqosu'um. We have been watching you, or rather, Bruniikloksivaas has..." he chuckled, staring intently at me.

I winced and averted my eyes as his chuckling gradually gave way to roaring laughter.

The large group of dragons in the sky began to perch on the boulders and snow drifts surrounding us, each one joining Tahrodiisqosu'um in laughter. As their taunting continued, I felt a blood-red haze begin to settle over my line of vision.

 _They dare mock my power as a_ dovah?!

This was considered the ultimate insult a dragon could ever undergo. An act of cruelty. Without respect of his authority, a _dovah_ has nothing...is nothing.

I closed my eyes tightly, struggling to control the urge to fight. To kill. I could not allow this defilement of my character to turn me into a savage like those standing around me. I could not—

"Enough!" I roared, lunging for a nearby pale-white male.

Too late.

 _"Iiz-slen_ -nus!" the dragon bellowed, a blizzard of frigid ice and snow shooting from his mouth.

Instantly, the sickening feeling of numbness spread over my legs and wings as ice crept over them, freezing them. I snarled as I crashed to the ground, the ice shattering into splinters on impact.

 _"Strun-bah_ -qo!" I growled, gazing with satisfaction at the dark clouds beginning to block the moon and stars from view. I smirked as a streak of white lightning struck the dragon, causing him to scream in pain. The scent of burning flesh filled the air as my victim writhed in agony on the ground.

 _Victim..._ Intense nausea came over me at the thought of the word.

 _What's happening to me?!_

I could do nothing as I waited for the storm to dissipate, entranced by the throes of my opponent. None of the other members of the _Kruziikke_ made a sound as the dark clouds of the storm I had conjured with my voice began to disappear, leaving the silence I had dreaded. The silence I knew would come.

I stared at the white dragon lying on his belly, waiting...hoping...praying. After a few heartbeats, he weakly lifted his head and opened his ice-blue eyes with what seemed to be much pain.

"Are you...all right?" I asked, slowly approaching him.

I carefully slid his body onto my back in order to seek attention for the several lightning-induced burns covering him. Surely, the _Kruziikke_ were prepared with healers for this kind of violence.

As soon as I had transferred his entire weight onto myself, I felt a sharp pain on the back of my neck. I widened my eyes and clenched my teeth, trying to keep from crying out in pain as the dragon's teeth sank deeper into my flesh. Snarling, I slammed my back against a nearby boulder, but the dragon quickly let go of my neck and sprang free of the blow.

I had no time to recover from the hard blow to my back before the dragon lunged for my throat. My heart pounded in fear as he put his savage fangs against the scales under my jaw. I shuddered at the thought of what he was about to do. I had seen it done before to murderers in public executions made by the _Kruziikke._

 _He's going to rip out my throat! By Akatosh, I'm going to die!_

I closed my eyes as the dragon began to sink his teeth into the flesh beneath my scales, waiting for the final pain to come...

"Stop!" Tahrodiisqosu'um bellowed. "Felbrombruniik, is this how we treat our guests?"

"But he tried to kill me!" Felbrombruniik snarled as he removed his teeth from my throat, away from the life-giving artery he had nearly severed.

"Never question my authority! Or do you wish for me to consider your life forfeit?!" Tahrodiisqosu'um roared. "And as for you, Alduin..." Tahrodiisqosu'um stared angrily into my eyes. "You would do well to learn to control that temper. And your sense of guilt... It's unbelievably pathetic how you showed your enemy mercy! Finish what you begin, and have no regrets!"

"If you're that angry with me, why not kill me now?!" I asked, glaring at him.

"That's a good question." Tahrodiisqosu'um cleared his throat and regained composure. "We have uses for you, Alduin."

"What do you want from me, then?" I asked, trying to resist the temptation to burn him until only ashes remained.

 _"Drem,_ Alduin. Patience. First, you must meet someone that you know very well. Or...should I say, 'knew' very well?" Tahrodiisqosu'um swung his head to face a dragon hidden in the shadows of a large, nearby rock cleft.

 _"Drem-yol-lok,_ Alduin," Bruniikloksivaas purred as he stepped into the moonlight.


	4. Chapter 3

"Impossible..." I whispered, staring into the eyes of the _dovah_ I had murdered. "You're...you were-"

"Dead?" Bruniikloksivaas chuckled as he approached me. "Oh, Alduin, are you really that foolish? Have you forgotten that we have immortal souls?"

"I. Killed. You," I growled, giving Tahrodiisqosu'um a look of desperation.

 _Have I gone insane?!_

"No, Alduin, you haven't lost your mind." The purple dragon smiled as he answered my silent question.

"How...?" I whispered, staring with hatred at the once-dead _Kruziik._

"Alduin, if you thought that you could kill a _Kruziik_ that easily, then you truly have no mind. If there were no such thing as a shout that could raise the dead, do you think he would have let you, a pathetic whelp, kill him?" Tahrodiisqosu'um asked. "You have much to learn."

I glanced from Bruniikloksivaas to Tahrodiisqosu'um, feeling as if I were sinking into a haze of confusion. "But why-"

 _"Drem!_ I have my reasons, and that's all you need to know! You are starting to worry me, Alduin. Questioning authority is a...dangerous matter here. You need to ask yourself if what you are about to say is worth what will follow. Am I understood?" The purple dragon opened his maw to reveal his long, sharp fangs.

"I...I think so," I answered quickly, using the last bit of my willpower to meet his gaze.

 _I can't give him the satisfaction of knowing that I fear him! To submit myself as a servant to his will would be to reject the very core of my identity as a_ dovah.

"Don't think, Alduin. Know in your soul itself that you understand what I expect from you! Now, I have a job for you. Fly to the northern shore. A _dovah_ came to us a few days ago claiming that there were groups of fires on the shore and many large boats in the water near the shore. Go see if it's true, and if so, observe them. This sounds like evidence of Nords to me." Tahrodiisqosu'um stared intently at me. "Don't fail me, Alduin, or you'll lose what's most precious to you."

I shuddered at his last words, the blood in my veins seeming to freeze at the thought of what he meant as he flashed me an evil, toothy grin.

"Yes, of course," I quickly replied as I felt a jolt of overwhelming fear run through me. Spreading my wings, I prepared to launch myself into the sky.

 _"Drem,_ Alduin! Numinex will go with you and offer assistance." Tahrodiisqosu'um nodded to a gray-green dragon perched on a nearby snow drift. "I expect that you will return to me very soon..."

I watched, awestruck as he lifted himself off of the ground and disappeared into the night, followed by the rest of the _Kruziikke_ , leaving Numinex and me alone on the mountaintop.

"Amazing, isn't it? I remember my first day at the Throat. Of course, it wasn't as...exciting as yours," Numinex chuckled, his amber eyes carrying a hint of nervousness. "You certainly gave Felbrombruniik a beating that he won't forget for at least a thousand years. Well fought, Alduin!"

"Let's not talk about it," I answered as I launched myself into the air. "We need to find these...Nords as soon as possible."

"Alduin... Do you even have the faintest idea of what a Nord looks like?" Numinex asked as he joined me in the sky. "Do you even know what a Nord is?"

"I know enough of the old legends to know a Nord when I see one," I snarled as we soared over the vast forest below us. "I'll tell you when I wish to hear any information on them."

"Look at you. Already giving commands. Already trying to gain power. Do you really think you should be telling me, a high-ranking _Kruziik_ , what to do?" he growled, although his pale amber eyes gleamed with amusement.

"Tahrodiisqosu'um sent you to assist me. If I wanted someone to tell me what to do, I would ask. I just want to get this done quickly."

"And do you really think Tahrodiisqosu'um will let you return? Do you expect for the _Kruziikke_ to ever be finished with you? There's no escape for you from those—." Numinex suddenly cut his words mid-sentence as he dropped behind me, allowing me to take the lead.

He whipped his head behind him and stared fearfully at the Throat of the World, watching as the great mountain slowly faded into the distance. Sighing, he shook his head as if he were struggling to clear some horror he had witnesses from his mind.

 _"Strunmah...sos...yol..."_

 _Mountain...blood...fire... He makes no sense! By Akatosh,_ he's halvuut ko fin hahdrim... _touched in the mind! Did Tahrodiisqosu'um really send me to find Nords or to die at the teeth of a_ dovah _suffering from some kind of insanity?_

"What in Oblivion are you talking about?" I asked after a long silence, craning my neck to face him.

"You'll understand in time, whelp," he answered. "Once you are ready..."

He never said another word, never even opened his mouth for the rest of our flight. The disturbing silence began to swallow me, dissolving me into a state of nothingness. An odd panic spread through me, my heart thudding rapidly in my chest. Forcing myself to keep my eyes focused on the abysmal night sky in front of me, I struggled to take deep, steady breaths.

 _This...nothingness. Is this what death means for a_ dovah? _Is this what Bruniikloksivaas felt when I slew him? Is this what I might feel some day? As I soared over the dark landscape, I wrestled with the numbness spreading through my mind, battling for control. Why can't I let this go, even if the one I killed is alive? Why is this controlling me?!_

* * *

"Numinex, look!" I called out as I stared at the tiny glints of light flickering on the frigid beach below us. Around each fire sat a small group of tiny creatures wrapped in what seemed to be animal hides. A couple of them paced the beach, nervously glancing into the nearby mountain peaks looming ominously over them.

 _So these are Nords...mortal souls._

"Alduin!" Numinex hissed as he darted in front of me. "Tahrodiisqosu'um gave no order for you to intervene. You're going to get yourself killed!"

"According to legend, don't these Nords worship us as gods? What do we have to fear from these foolish mortals?" I snarled, baring my long, white teeth at Numinex.

"Alduin, it's not the Nords you should fear..." Numinex's voice trailed away as he began to guide me away from the strange creatures.

"He'll know nothing of what I've done," I replied.

"Don't speak like that, Alduin. Not if you value your life and the lives of your loved ones." Numinex turned his head to the rocky beach where the Nords sat huddled together. "Now keep your voice down, please. They'll hear us." Numinex's voice now came in a whisper. "Come with me. We must report this to—"

"Tahrodiisqosu'um told us to observe these _joorre_ , these mortals. I think we can stay and watch a little longer," I replied in a low whisper. "Nothing will happen if the legends are indeed true."

I watched in fascination, a perplexed look on my face as a male Nord appeared from a nearby hut made from various bits of bleached, gray driftwood. A golden mask, representing a mass of tentacles covered his face. The warm, sunset-orange glow of the fire reflected off of the odd covering, illuminating every detail of the fine craftsmanship, the flawlessness of the gold, the almost hypnotizing swirl of the tendrils. His long, brownish-green robes sported intricate embroideries on the outfit's large sleeves, and an enormous belt buckle hung at his waist, both made of gold, as well. Upon sighting him, the other Nords fell flat on their stomachs facing him.

"Who's that?" I asked, nodding to the peculiar masked Nord.

 _Has to be some kind of ruler...maybe the leader of a religious cult..._

"I see you've noticed Miraak," Numinex replied, fixing his eyes on the odd scene enfolding in the Nordic camp. "He's one of our most useful dragon priests, Nords who lead in the worship of dragons and rule over the commoners. He controls the island of Solstheim north of here for the _dov_. The _Kruziikke_ gave him that mask a few years ago as a reward for his honorable services. Because of him, we are able to rule Solstheim."

"We have control over Solstheim?" I asked, turning to Numinex, confusion swimming into my eyes. "Why have I—?"

"The _Kruziikke_ don't like to reveal their secrets for all to see," Numinex answered before I could finish my sentence. "I'm sorry, but our...power and our means of getting it aren't for you to know right now. If I were to tell you, I'd be—"

"I still don't see the harm in going down and taking a look. These Nords... I see no reason to fear them. Let the foolish _joorre_ do what they wish. They obviously mean us no harm...but I'm curious... This...dragon worship. How does it work?" I replied, swooping down onto the rocky beach, landing on the dark grey pebbles in clear sight of the mortals.

"Alduin!" Numinex whispered fiercely as the Nords turned to gaze at me in awe. "Come back! Now!"

I stared in fascination at the strange creatures as they bowed before me and spoke in excited, hushed tones to each other. A young child, a male, shakily approached me, his breaths coming out in short huffs.

"Behold the Firstborn of Akatosh!" he called out to the other joorre. "Behold the most powerful dragon that has been and shall be! Nords, remember this day! Remember the day you saw the physical embodiment of your worst nightmares!"

Not even a moment after hollering those words, the boy gave a sharp gasp. I flinched as I caught sight of the gleaming, silver tip of a sword protruding through his small, fragile chest. Frothy, deep red blood bubbled from the child's mouth as the masked man pulled the sword out of the boy. I watched as the young child fell on his stomach at my claws. Dead.

 _What kind of savages have I met?!_


	5. Chapter 4

"My apologies, noble _dovah."_ The man that Numinex had identified as Miraak quickly sheathed his sword and fell on his face in front of me, making sure not to land on the dead child. "Never in all of my years of service to you great ones have I ever seen such a blasphemous interruption! I-"

"SILENCE!" I roared, mimicking the formal language of the _Kruziikke_. "WHAT DO YOU SAY IN YOUR DEFENSE?! SPEAK NOW, _JOOR_ , OR YOUR BLOOD WILL TURN THE GROUND RED!"

"I...I apologize for the boy's irreverence, my lord. He was an odd child. He never seemed quite right to me. I promise this will never happen again. I humbly beg your forgiveness!" Miraak cowered at my feet, shuddering under my shadow.

Snarling, I grabbed the collar of his robes with my teeth and lifted him off of the ground, holding him above my head. The crowd of Nords bowing before me remained silent, not daring to look at me.

"FOOLISH MORTAL! WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT ANYTHING YOU DO WILL SPARE YOU FROM MY WRATH?!" I growled, staring intently at the mask, trying to decipher the appearance of the savage's face.

 _You murdered a boy, a child, in cold blood and don't care at all!_

Deep pleasure filled me as Miraak squirmed in my grasp, his breaths coming in shallow puffs, his heart beating so quickly, I thought it would pop out of his chest.

 _And now, to finish you..._

Chuckling, I shook the Nordic priest as I had once seen a wolf grab and shake a rabbit. I relished the deep screams coming from the man with the golden mask. The crowd of commoners only pressed their faces deeper into the rocks as Miraak's cries amplified. Not one of them dared to open their mouths as their priest received his punishment.

 _How are they able to breathe?_

I briefly paused in my rampage to take a quick glance at the common Nords. A few of them had begun to raise their heads, stealing quick glimpses of the mauling of their leader before pressing their faces back into the frozen ground. I lowered Miraak to the rocks and placed my foot on top of his back to keep him from escaping my grasp.

"Perhaps some of you are warriors," I murmured. "Maybe you wish to save your…beloved priest. Come…take him from me. Prove your worth…."

I felt the power that I held over the _joorre_ course through me. The Nords' stupefied expressions…Miraak's strangled gasps…. Every life on that shore depended upon me. I controlled the next heartbeats in their chests, the next breaths they took. And I was satisfied.

"Anyone?" I asked in a dangerously quiet voice. "Won't anyone come forth and save this fool? This…killer?"

Nothing stirred on the rocks before me. All of them had only buried their faces as deep as they could in reply.

"I see…." I quickly snagged a nearby Nord by her dress with my wing-claw. The young female gave a long screech and flailed her limbs, struggling to squirm out of my grip.

"Will you save an innocent soul? Your own blood?" I continued as I placed the girl under my remaining foot. "Or are you all cowards?"

My questions were met only with silence. Not a single Nord dared to lift his gaze from the ground.

"So, none of you will save her," I growled. "Cowards…."

"Now you see why I must enforce order upon them," Miraak gasped from underneath me. "These lawless beasts need someone to—"

"FOOLISH MORTAL! YOU DARE DEFILE MY LANDS WITH YOUR MURDERS AND SPEAK IN MY PRESENCE BEFORE I GIVE YOU PERMISSION, AND THEN YOU SPEAK TO ME OF KEEPING ORDER?! DIE, FOOL!" I snarled, seizing Miraak with my teeth before flinging him into the air.

 _His neck'll surely snap from the fall…._

Heartbeats before the doomed priest hit the pebbly shore, long, curved talons snatched him by the back of his robes and gently placed him on the ground. Rage coursed through my body as Numinex landed beside Miraak, the _Kruziik's_ long, yellow fangs bared.

"YOU DARE TO INTERRUPT ME?! I'M TEACHING THESE _JOORRE_ AN IMPORTANT LESSON!" I roared, turning my attention to the female Nord I had captured. "And this mortal shall serve as the perfect tool to teach them…."

"Let her go, Alduin…." Numinex whispered in a steady voice, locking his amber eyes with mine. "Let her go, and look at me…."

Snarling, I felt myself unable to break my gaze away from the gray-green dragon's eyes, feeling the heat of my rage gradually lift itself from me and fade away like an early morning mist. A deep calm filled me as the world slowly disappeared from my view. I found myself slipping into a haze, powerless against it...

* * *

 _"What are you doing?" I asked, approaching Bruniikloksivaas. The golden dragon ignored my question as he scratched at the ground furiously with his legs, uncovering a giant sapphire the size of his wing-claw. "Why are you hiding that?"_

 _I narrowed my eyes at Bruniikloksivaas as he turned to face me._

 _"Alduin," he whispered. "Can you keep a secret?"_

No.

 _"Yes," I replied, staring at the sapphire._

No, that isn't a sapphire!

 _I hastily put my wing-claw on it, feeling a burst of cold rush through me. "Stahlrim?!"_

 _The legendary ice that never melted was often used by the_ joorre _as armor, according to legend. Members of the_ Kruziikke _presented small chunks of stahlrim as a method of proposal to young female_ dov _. The request was the only one a_ Kruziik _made that was in no way forceful, but few_ dov _could resist the power that came with being a_ Kruziik's _mate._

Besides, it's not as if Bruniikloksivaas has any trouble attracting females... I've seen two that like to follow him wherever he goes. And all the gifts he receives from the others... He has his pick of any eligible female.

 _"Yes, Alduin, I'm proposing to Brityolvadin." He chuckled, giving me a sly grin. "She's quite a beauty, and I just can't let her just slip by. Don't take this too badly. You were a fool to wait," he purred as he noticed the shocked expression on my face. "Oh, yes, I know. About your...feelings for her. Better luck next—"_

 _"YOU MISERABLE LIZARD!" I snarled, grabbing him by the shoulders with my wing-claws. "No female should have to marry a snake like you! Brityolvahdin is mine, WORM!"_

 _He screeched in pain as I dug my sharp, curved wing-claws into his shoulders. Bellowing, he lowered his head and rammed my chest, his horns almost penetrating my scales._

It's good that I have thick scales. Without them, I'd be dead by now!

 _Bruniikloksivaas quickly pushed away from me into the air and circled above me, growling in rage._

"Fo-krah- _diin!" he roared, a cloud of frigid snow and ice flying from his mouth. Numbness began to spread from my claws to my legs as his frost breath hit my back._

So cold... My legs! I...I can't get into the air! I can barely feel the ground!

 _Shivering, I raised my head toward the overcast sky. Bruniikloksivaas's taunting laughter echoed above me, its sickening tone plaguing my mind._

 _"First real fight, isn't it, whelp?!" he snickered, landing a dragon's length from me. "I'm merely toying with you!" As he slowly approached me, the reek of his foul breath hit my face._

 _I retched on the stench, struggling to duck away from it._

 _"Don't worry. I'll kill you as painlessly as I can," the golden dragon hissed, a toothy grin on his maw._

 _I had never imagined a fight to be as challenging. The only thing closest to a fight that I had experienced were mammoth hunts in the plains west of the Throat of the World. Even those hunts were not nearly as dangerous as what I faced. Mammoths could not shout the way a dragon could, and this dragon was a_ Kruziik!

What in Oblivion have I gotten myself into?!

 _As the numbness left my legs, I stared angrily at him, listening to his laughter. A spark seemed to ignite in the deepest part of my soul as he halted in front of me, his nose almost touching mine._

 _"I will say that you surprised me," he whispered. "You fought well...for a hatchling!" He opened his mouth and lunged for my throat. I struggled to dodge the bite, cringing as I heard the click of his teeth snapping together on air._

 _"Hold still, and you won't feel as much pain," he snarled. "As for Brityolvadin, I promise I will take care of her. I'll tell her you died a noble death, a hero's death, even, if you wish…."_

 _"No!" I roared. "You won't tell her anything!"_

 _A red haze settled over my eyes as I sank my teeth into the top of his wing. I listened with relish to the sickening crunch of bone, the shriek of pain from my enemy. The taste of blood filled my mouth, almost intoxicating me. A dark lust from my instincts invisibly guided me as I lifted my leg and placed my claws at the bottom of his throat. The lust for blood._

 _The sound of ripping flesh reverberated in my head as I yanked my claws through his tender belly. The deep wound I had carved stretched from the base of his throat to his abdomen. His blood flowed freely onto the ground, creating a large puddle underneath him._

 _"You...snake..." he gurgled, blood trickling out of the corners of his mouth as I withdrew my teeth and claws. Gasping for air, he collapsed in the sticky puddle of his own lifeblood._

 _As he lay dying in front of me, the red haze lifted and the bloodlust disappeared, leaving me alone...and frightened as I licked the blood off of my teeth, gagging at the sharp, metallic taste._

What have I done?!

* * *

I opened my eyes to the sparkling snow-capped top of the Throat of the World, groaning in pain as I felt an excruciating cold in my feet thousands of times worse than Bruniikloksivaas's frost breath. I glanced at my legs, gasping at the icy bonds that held them planted on the ground.

 _"Yol-tor-_ shul!" I roared, fire springing from my mouth and licking the ice. I smiled with satisfaction as my shackles melted away, allowing me to feel my feet again.

"Must you go so soon?" a deep voice from above me chuckled. Tahrodiisqosu'um soared onto the mountain, alighting in front of me, his nose almost touching mine.


	6. Chapter 5

"Do you have any regard for personal space?!" I snarled as the rest of the _Kruziikke_ assembled around us.

"You would do very well to hold your tongue," the purple dragon growled, slashing his wing-claw across my face.

I cringed in pain, trying not to scream in agony as I felt my scales part and my flesh tear. My eyes shut tightly as blood readily gushed from my wound and streamed over them. Hearing Tahrodiisqosu'um's thunderous laughs echo in the mountain air, I bared my teeth at him in rage.

"Alduin, if you wish to have a good verdict, you must cooperate," Tahrodiisqosu'um chuckled, launching himself into the sky before settling on a nearby boulder. His claws scraped against the dark rock, leaving long, white marks. "We shall now proceed with this trial…." His eyes darted to the _Kruziikke_ surrounding me. "One week ago, a _dovah_ by the name of Alduin was summoned by the _Kruziikke_ to the Throat of the World. He was tasked with observing a large group of Nords settling on our northern coast."

 _One week?! I've been unconscious for longer than I thought…._

"This _vothaarn dovah_ , disobedient dragon, almost mercilessly slaughtered Miraak, a loyal Nord in full service to the _dov_. This dragon must pay for his crimes in whatever way the _Kruziikke_ excepting me find fit, the worst punishment possible being a slow, torturous death at the claws of all members, starting with the presiding leader. Am I understood?" he asked, giving me a malicious smile.

I bared my teeth at the _Kruziik_. "That Nord was a murderer, guilty of the severest form of punishment! _He's_ the one who-"

"SILENCE, OR I SHALL INVOKE THE COURT'S RIGHTS AND KILL YOU MYSELF!" Tahrodiisqosu'um roared, gesturing to Felbrombruniik and Bruniikloksivaas with a wing-claw.

Both of the savage _dov_ nodded in obedience and pounced on top of me, one on each wing. Their crushing weight made me grit my teeth in pain. As soon as he noticed my expression, Bruniikloksivaas gave a low chuckle.

"Not very comfortable, is it, whelp? I'm just getting started…." He began to sink a wing-claw into my shoulder, a smug grin on his muzzle.

"Alduin, you are being tried to determine the severity of your punishment for the attempted murder of Miraak and the show of defiance toward your guardian Numinex," Tahrodiisqosu'um continued. "I told you to control that temper of yours. I suppose we all have our way of learning. Some of us have the sense to do as we're told, and others need an…application, shall we say? A witness is coming to testify against you, Alduin. Try to act in a civilized manner, if you're even remotely capable of such a thing. Ah, here he comes now…."

A brown-scaled servant, the same one who had called me to my first _Kruziikke_ meeting, flew erratically into the snowy clearing being used as a courtroom. Miraak clung onto the servant's legs, his mask gleaming in the morning sunlight. Suddenly, the half-starved _dovah_ swerved in the sky and plummeted into a snowbank. I watched as the servant's eyes flickered and became dark like a extinguished fire. A jagged, cream white bone jutted out from behind the dragon's head, announcing the broken neck that had killed him.

 _Disgusting! Absolutely disgusting!_

I watched in horror as a muscular, bronze-skinned dragon slowly approached the carcass, his poison-yellow eyes devoid of emotion as he pushed his coal-black horns underneath the fallen servant's body and flipped it over, sending it rolling. Bile rose in my throat as the corpse slid over the mountain's edge, landing on a lower stony ledge with a sickening thud.

 _He wouldn't have crashed if he hadn't been so exhausted, so hungry..._

"Miraak?" Tahrodiisqosu'um called out casually to the brownish-green lump lying on its stomach in the snow.

"I am fine, Noble One," the dragon priest replied, standing for a heartbeat before falling on his face in front of the _Kruziik_. "Thank you for allowing me to come to your great gathering place today, and for a trial no less! The great Tahrodiisqosu'um is indeed just in his dealings!"

"We shall continue with your testification against this dovah." Tahrodiisqosu'um gave Miraak a slow nod, satisfied with the dragon priest's wordy greeting. "Proceed…."

"The _dovah_ landed on the coast we Nords were settling, as you allowed us to do. As protocol demanded, every Nord bowed. However, a young boy by the name of Ivaric refused to pay the proper respects and instead blathered about..."

As Miraak stood up and droned on with his testimony, I stared icily at every _Kruziik_ that had gathered to condemn me. I envisioned Bruniikloksivaas and Felbrombruniik rolling off of the mountain, their bodies joining the dead _Kruziikke_ servant.

I struggled to stay silent as Bruniikloksivaas continued to sink his long, curved wing-claws into my shoulder. Felbrombruniik had quickly joined him, smiling in pleasure as he slowly clawed at my back. The scent of my own blood flooded my nostrils, and I tried to ignore the sharp pain behind my shoulders and the sting of the wound on my face.

"Alduin, normally you would have this one chance to explain your vile actions before the court decides your punishment." Tahrodiisqosu'um stared right into my eyes, a sly grin embedded in his face. "Your crime was so terrible, however, that we need no—"

"Um…Tahrodiisqosu'um, forgive me for interrupting you, but if I may…." Numinex murmured from his position atop a nearby snowdrift. "I can explain."

The leader of the _Kruziikke_ bared his teeth in annoyance at the interrupter. Then, he chuckled in amusement. "Numinex, you dare interrupt court proceedings? A bold move for someone like yourself. You know that inappropriate conduct in court is enough to condemn you to death if—"

"If I can't defend the criminal. I know the law. I grew up with it. I am a _Kruziik!_ I can indeed defend this _dovah,_ but if you think otherwise, I shall willingly pay the price," Numinex replied.

"Very well," Tahrohdiisqosu'um gave the gray-green dragon a nod of approval, though his eyes were narrowed in impatience.

"Members of the court, please do try to remember that Alduin did not grow with the laws concerning Nords and their ways. He does not know the protocol. Miraak's actions would have been deemed as an act of murder in Alduin's eyes. An act that is so severe, it is punishable by death. Miraak provoked Alduin to wrath by killing a child. In fact, is it not established in our laws that the Nords are not to shed blood in front of a _dovah_ interacting with them for the first time to prevent this problem? Have our courts become so corrupt that murder, especially that of a child, is no longer considered an act of evil?"

"You make excellent claims, Numinex," Tahrodiisqosu'um replied. "I've never heard you such much as open your mouth in a trial before. Where did this new courage come from, I wonder? Very well. Alduin's punishment will be forgotten. As for you, Miraak, my apologies, but you know what I must do..." The purple dragon gazed apologetically at the shamed dragon priest who now lay on his face shuddering in cowardice. "I, Tahrodiisqosu'um, invoke the privileges of the court. With much pain, I send Miraak, our most faithful servant, back to Solstheim to continue his duties. His mask is not to be removed, but he will not be able to consult with the _dov_ until both moons hang full in the night sky. This is to be dictated by Felbrombruniik to every _dovah-sonaak_ , dragon-priest, in the lands of Solsteim and Atmora."

"I understand, Noble One." Miraak bowed his head in defeat, and I felt his eyes staring through his mask right into my very soul.

A chill ran through my body, sending shivers along my spine.

 _There's something about that_ joor…. _Something unnerving. But what?_

A gasp of pain escaped me as Felbrombruniik and Bruniikloksivaas kept their firm hold on my back.

 _Bruniikloksivaas…. I severely underestimated his power. He didn't dig his claws in like this during our fight!_

"Does it hurt?" The golden dragon sneered, a sly smile on his face.

 _Shut up!_

I stared deeply into my captors' eyes, my lust for blood growing ever stronger and smiled victoriously as both _dov_ flinched in fear.

 _You'll regret this... By Akatosh, you'll regret this..._

"Alduin, you are to follow Numinex to the river running along our _strunmah_ , our mountain," Tahrodiisqosu'um growled. Although his muzzle was turned up in a grin, pure hatred streamed from his eyes as he met my gaze. "Felbrombruniik, Bruniikloksivaas, release him."

I forced myself not to sigh in relief as the sharp pain in my back instantly lessened. After watching Numinex spring into the sky, I quickly rose to my feet and lifted myself into the air, leaving the Throat of the World without another word.


	7. Chapter 6

"You could thank me," Numinex murmured, staring sightlessly into the distance with clouded eyes. as I collapsed into the cool, clear water, blood streaming from my wounds. "I just saved your life…."

"Sorry... Thanks..." I replied as I collapsed into the cool, clear water of the river flowing languidly under the shadow of the Throat. I rolled onto my back, relief filling me as the sting of the slash on my face gradually faded away. The blood of my wounds mixed with the river, swirling in intricate designs before being diluted by the water and disappearing. "Why did you do that? Save my life? Surely, the noble _Kruziikke_ were right in their decision. After all, a mere dragon priest, a mortal who _murdered a child,_ is so much more valuable than a _dovah."_

"You idiot!" Numinex roared, dipping his tail into the water and splashing it into my eyes.

"What in Oblivion was that for?!" Snarling, I blinked rapidly to clear my now-blurry vision. "You know it's true! They're all—!"

"They're all what?! Liars?! Tyrants?! You don't think we all know that?! Look, Alduin…." The gray-green dragon sighed through his nose before continuing in a hushed voice. "I know this is rather hard for you to understand, but here, you follow the rules. Your bravery is…commendable. I wish I had the courage to say what you do. But you have to learn that you can't just go around saying whatever you please. If not your mouth, then your actions are going to get you in trouble someday. You have to learn common sense."

"If common sense is what makes you so paranoid, I don't want it!" I hissed, leaping out of the river and onto its grassy bank, silvery drops of water spinning off of my scales and into the air, turning golden in the light of the sunset. "I saw you on that mountaintop: hunched into a little corner…unable to speak…. That's no life for a _dovah,_ and you know it!"

"You keep this up, and you won't have a life at all!" Numinex retorted. "If you think the _Kruziikke_ are done with you, think again! They're testing, you, Alduin, and if they see even a hint of disloyalty to them after this, they'll—! You're meant for so much more than this…. If you can just have the patience to wait for it…."

"Patience for what?"

"All I ask is for you to stay alive," he whispered, turning to face the wilderness that lay east of the mountain. "You've seen how the other members of the _Kruziikke_ look at me. If you get into trouble again, I don't know if I can save you."

"Why save me at all, then?" I asked as I shook myself in order to completely dry my scales. "You never answered me the first time I asked."

"Alduin…." He shook his head. "It's not really my decision…."

"What do mean, 'not your decision'? You can't just come to my defense without making up your mind that you're doing it! Nothing you say makes any sense!" I sighed through my nose, my tail lashing against the grass beneath me.

"Sometimes, things aren't supposed to make sense, Alduin. I don't know why I'm the one that—" He clamped his jaws shut and shook his head.

"What?!" I snarled. "Why won't you just spit it out and be done with it?!"

"May I remind you that I'm a _Kruziik._ Who gave you the right to question me?! If it's another trial you want, I can bring you up on charges of defiance!" he growled, baring his pale yellow fangs at me.

I flinched at the savage weapons Akatosh had given him. Even if Numinex looked undoubtedly pathetic compared to the strongest members of the _Kruziikke,_ he still had fangs and powerful breath. Fighting a _Kruziik_ was a pointless effort. To kill a _dovah_ serving as a _Kruziik,_ except in special circumstances, was one of the most heinous crimes a dragon could commit.

 _If I fight him here, I'll die whether I win or lose!_

"Now…." Numinex softened his voice as he continued. "I don't want to see you killed. You're capable of so much, Alduin. What good would it do, if a powerful _dovah_ were to be killed by his own stupidity?"

"This whole day has been the epitome of stupidity!" I retorted. "I just want to understand…Tahrodiisqosu'um, the Nords…that boy…."

Ivaric's words echoed in my mind, his high-pitched voice replaced by the thunderous growl of a dragon: _"Behold the Firstborn of Akatosh!"_

"Numinex, what did that boy mean about me, anyway? When he called me 'Firstborn'?" I asked.

"Oh...that," Numinex replied, his eyes locked with mine as I tried to keep my head out of the river. Every one of his muscles tensed beneath his bony body as he glanced up at the _Kruzikke's strunmah_ for a heartbeat before turning back to me. "I wouldn't pay it any heed. He was probably just insane. You get one of those every once in a while."

"I just want to understand. I want to know why that Nordic boy acted the way he did, why Miraak stabbed him like that." I spat Miraak's name out as if it were poison. "Ivaric wasn't doing any harm. At least, not enough to be killed like that…."

"Alduin, these things... They are difficult to explain. I can't do it here. _Drem,_ please. You'll learn eventually. It just takes time." His eyes seemed to change to poison yellow in color for one heartbeat before returning to their usual shade of amber.

"Your eyes," I whispered, cocking my head at the gray-green _dovah_. "You used them to put me in that trance on the northern coast..."

"Being a _Kruziik_ is a great privilege, Alduin," Numinex replied with a smile, though his eyes glinted with unease. "A privilege that would serve you well. Please don't ruin this. Now, if you don't mind I think I'm going hunting…."

He launched himself into the air as soon as the words had left his mouth. With a high-pitched roar, he circled above me and began to make his way toward the prey-rich plains that lay to the west of the Throat.

"Wait! Tell me more! Where and how did you receive this power?" I joined Numinex in the sky, wincing at the blood that still trickled from the deep scratches on my back.

"What did I just say, Alduin? _Drem, gein se nid praan._ Peace, restless one. All will be revealed when you are ready. Stop pestering me, and go back to the river." I watched in awe as Numinex silently glided to the top of the _strunmah,_ disappearing from sight in the thick cloud cover beginning to shroud the Throat of the World.

 _That's the strangest_ dovah _I have ever met..._ _Either he's completely insane, or…he knows something. Something about me. But what?_

I stared into the gloom of the fog, a shudder of fear passing over me. _Fear...or mistrust?_ I wondered as I turned away from the _Kruzikke's_ residence to the distant mountains rising in the east, their peaks a dark blue in color.

 _Somewhere in those mountains, Brityolvadin is waiting for my return. Father's returning from a successful hunt, and Mother has to be trying to usher Paarthurnax from that group of wise_ dov _he talks to._

A small smile formed on my muzzle as I envisioned the golden-brown _dovah,_ his innocent, sky-blue eyes staring up at me. Paarthurnax. My younger brother. His size was tiny for that of a _dovah,_ but no one could fathom the things of his mind. I often flew with him in the evenings, listening to his quiet murmurs. I never always understood the complex explanations that he gave me about life, but he seemed to enjoy chatting with me, and I certainly enjoyed the company.

 _It worked. I was happy. He was happy. Are those days gone now?_

As I landed beside the river, I sought out every memory of our quiet evening flights that I could dredge from my mind. An odd stirring filled my heart: the twinge of longing.

 _I thought those days would last forever. Will I ever get to enjoy them again?_

I felt a warm, salty tear silently run down my cheek as I curled up on the ground, and I wrapped my wings around my head. A wave of uncomfortable heat flooded my cheeks. Struggling to keep my breaths from coming out in strangled sobs, I squeezed my eyes shut.

 _I hope no one saw that! I can't cry! Not here, not now! I'm not a youngling anymore! But...but why do I feel so defenseless? So…empty?_

A thunderous roar interrupted my thoughts. Turning my head back to face the mountain, I opened my eyes and watched the members of the _Kruziikke_ begin to file what appeared to be a large cave yawning from the base of the ancient rock. Tahrodiisqosu'um was the first to enter, shooting me a glare of disapproval before entering the _Kruziikke's_ sleeping quarters. As soon as the tip of the purple _dovah's_ tail disappeared into the darkness, Bruniikloksivaas followed behind him…but not before giving me a glare of utter hatred.

 _I won't be sleeping in there tonight._

An icy breeze nipped at my back, and I shivered at the brutal chill in the air. Even in the summer, Skyrim's nights never failed to retain their uncomfortable cold. I drew my tail closer to my body, tucking it around my legs.

 _Even with my body heat, I'll still have to worry about my claws going numb._

I mournfully stared at the long, black claws at the ends of my toes and wiggled them. They would certainly lose feeling before I fell asleep. Sighing, I turned my back to the cave where the _Kruziikke_ would all be piled in a warm heap and closed my eyes….


	8. Chapter 7

"Wake up, worm!" I heard Bruniikloksivaas snarl as I opened my eyes to blinding sunlight. I stared in horror at the golden male as he rolled me onto my back with his savage wing-claws.

"What do you want?!" I growled viciously, my soul burning with passionate hatred.

"Just to inform you that I now have the 'privilege' of looking after you!" he chuckled, digging his wing-claws into my tender belly, one of the most vulnerable places on a _dovah._ I screamed in agony as he began to yank his wing-claws through my flesh, jerking them in every possible direction that he could.

"Look at you! Pathetic! You sorry lizard! I might even rip out your stomach like you did mine. You wouldn't stand a chance against me in a real fight! I wonder what Brityolvadin will think when she hears her former lover was a krivaan, a murderer!" he continued.

I groaned in pain as I watched Bruniikloksivaas twist and yank out his weapons. Blood dripped off of them as he backed away from me, permeating the air with its stench. My blood. I felt the warm, sticky liquid run off of my stomach onto the brownish-yellow grass underneath me, staining it red.

"Kill me, then, and get it over with!" I snarled, locking eyes with my attacker.

"Are you that eager to die, Alduin? Do you wish for me to tell you what happens, especially since your bones won't exist to resurrect you when I'm through?" His eyes scanned me as he spoke, filled with the glee that comes with triumph. "Besides, what fun would it be to kill you quickly, anyway? I wish to savor this, be able to picture your humiliation clearly even after millennia."

"It won't change the fact you'll always be a revolting, sniveling snake!" Immense coughs began to wrack my body as I tried to speak. I could taste the sharp tang of my own blood in my mouth. "And as for my beautiful fire maiden, LEAVE HER ALONE!" I struggled to breathe as I stood to my full height, trying to ignore the stinging pain in my belly and the dizziness of losing so much of my blood. "SHE'S MINE! If I have to burn the flesh off of your bones to—!"

Bruniikloksivaas only flashed me a large smirk. "How? You're too weak to even try! It's too bad there will be nothing left of you for her to mourn over. _Yol-toor—"_

A blood-curdling roar interrupted him, and he growled in annoyance. I watched in confusion as I caught a flash of gray-green streaking directly toward Bruniikloksivaas. "ENOUGH!" Numinex's angry bellow seemed to shake the ground as he sprang in between my enemy and me. "Bruniikloksivaas, what's going on?! Why does Alduin have such deep wounds?!"

"That's my business, you half-crazed fool! Why don't you go fly away and find some remote place where you can mumble to the clouds to your heart's content?" Bruniikloksivaas snarled, baring his long fangs. I couldn't help but cringe in disgust at the pale yellow color of his teeth.

"The killing of another _dovah_ is completely my business! Now, tell me what's going on, or do I have to report this to Tahrodiisqosu'um?" Numinex locked his amber eyes with my attacker's.

"And just how are you going to do that?" the golden _dovah_ scoffed, giving him a wide smirk. "Are you really so stupid, that you would dare testify against me? Need I remind you that I am among Tahrodiisqosu'um's closest officials? My word against a young troublemaker and a fool…."

"What if it were your word against yourself?" Numinex's eyes darkened to a deep gold as he spoke. Fangs bared, he stared intensely into my attacker's eyes.

"Do you really think that little trick you can pull will work on me?" Bruniikloksivaas purred, creeping toward my defender until he stood nose-to-nose with him. "Maybe you've forgotten _my_ power…."

He shoved his legs into Numinex's belly and flung the gray-green dragon into a nearby boulder. The familiar crunch of bone cracking echoed in the still air as Numinex's body made contact with the rock. The gray-green _dovah's_ intense cry of pain made me flinch.

My legs began to quiver uncontrollably as Bruniikloksivaas slowly approached Numinex. Chuckling at the sight of the weakened _Kruziik,_ the golden _dovah_ lifted his wing-claw to give the death blow. I gasped at the odd angle at which Numinex's leg hung.

 _Broken for sure... He's going to die..._ We're _going to die!_ My heart began to race in my chest, and I felt the midnight-black chill of fear engulf me.

"There's no need to kill Numinex! Why spill innocent blood, lizard?!" The words spilled from my maw in a deep growl. "Leave him alone! I'm the one you want!"

 _Why would you say that?! Provoke a_ dovah _who could kill you in a heartbeat?! Alduin, you fool!_

Bruniikloksivaas trained his eyes on me, both emerald-green pools of light filled with passionate hatred.

"Such brave words!" the golden dragon sneered. "Such a sense of justice! Such...stupidity! That rashness was always going to get you killed someday..."

I collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily as my dizziness increased. The world seemed to spin as I watched Bruniikloksivaas approach me. My eyelids grew too heavy for me to hold open any longer, and I felt myself slipping away into a dizzying darkness...

 _I hope it'll be a quick, painless death…._

* * *

I wearily opened my eyes to the complete darkness surrounding me, fear overwhelming me as I stood up and fervently searched for any sign of light, of life. My claws scraped on cold, smooth stone. No chinks had been worn into the rock…no cracks or even stray pebbles…. Only a uniform void.

 _This nothingness... I can't bear it! BY, AKATOSH, AM I DEAD?!_ I quickly lifted one of my wings to my mouth, lightly nipping it with my teeth. Gasping in pain, I felt warm blood begin to stream from my wing onto the ground. _I'm alive. Alive...and wounded._ I gave a quiet groan, the memory of Bruniikloksivaas and the fight seeming to instantly light my wounds on fire.

"So, you decided to stay with the living..." I whipped my head in the direction of Numinex's raspy voice. "Certainly was lucky for us Tahrodiisqosu'um wanted us alive. For now, anyway…."

"Where are we?" I asked, pitifully crawling for a dragon's length before feeling a dull pain and the cool, damp smoothness of stone on my nose. I sighed, rubbing my muzzle with my wing.

"Welcome to our new home… _Dur Ahzid_ ," he replied. "Careful, Alduin. You'll end up with a nasty bruise that way." Two pools of amber gleamed in the darkness before disappearing from my sight. As I began to shuffle to where I thought was supposed to be the middle of the black chamber, Numinex's eyes reopened.

Dur Ahzid… _Accursed Bitterness! I thought this place didn't exist!_

I lowered my head, scraping my wing-claws across the ground beneath me. Mother had often told me stories of _Dur Ahzid,_ one of Tahrodiisqosu'um's legendary prisons. Designed to drive prisoners into insanity with confinement, the pit normally held only one _dovah_ at a time.

 _This can't be right! If we're really in_ Dur Ahzid, _then we shouldn't be sharing this pit. We have to be deep in a cave somewhere. Maybe if I…._

 _"Yol-toor_ -shul!" I roared, spitting fire onto the ground, smiling in satisfaction as the reddish-orange flames licked the stone walls and roof, illuminating the pale gray rock under my claws. My triumph only lasted for a few heartbeats; I could see no faraway exit, only stone walls surrounding us. Numinex lay on his side on the other side of the tiny chamber, pressing himself as far as he could into the wall, choking on the dark gray smoke filling the air.

 _"Alduin, los...hi haalvut ko...hahdrim?!_ Are you...touched...in the mind?! Do you not—?!" Tears sparkled in his eyes as he burst into a fit of coughing.

"Think?" I finished his sentence, staring at the _dovah_ worriedly. "Sorry. I was trying to find a way out of this place."

"You can try all you like. You won't find one," he answered. "The only exit is sealed by that giant boulder on the roof when I'm inside, and it's too heavy for even both of us working together to slide open. Tahrodiisqosu'um probably doesn't want to take the chance of us escaping, even with all of his guards that he could post outside. He saw what you did to Felbrombruniik."

"Why are you even here, anyway?" I asked, sniffing for any scent of the outside world. "You're a _Kruziik."_

"I guess you wouldn't be expecting a _Kruziik_ to be stuck in this...place," Numinex replied as the cave's shadows swallowed the last light of my fire. "But my rank doesn't keep me out of being punished. The _Kruziikke_ have one rule: never attack each other. If the _dov_ see us fighting among ourselves—"

"They'll try to start a revolution," I finished. "But…but Bruniikloksivaas would've killed me, if you hadn't fought him!"

"You know the _Kruziikke_ aren't known for their fairness. It's really about your place in our hierarchy. As you know, Bruniikloksivaas is a higher-ranking _Kruziik_. _Mal dok se Tahrodiisqosu'um._ Tahrodiisqosu'um's little dog. Let's just say the words that are said don't matter as much as the _dovah_ who says them. Most of the time, my powers help me to be a bit more…persuasive, but I forgot Bruniikloksivaas is immune to abilities."

I stumbled to the middle of our chamber. "Why is he? And how did you even get those powers? You said it was a privilege…."

"It is," he answered. "But…I can't tell you. Not now, anyway. If there's any chance of us surviving this, we'll lose it. Tahrodiisqosu'um could find out I told our secrets, and he'd kill us both: you for knowing, and me for telling."

"Doesn't he want to kill me, anyway? Why else would he have Bruniikloksivaas watch me? He knows about our rivalry by now. He has to!" I growled, shaking my head. "I thought he wanted to keep us alive, at least, when I first arrived at the Throat, anyway…."

"No, Tahrodiisqosu'um wanted you dead from the beginning, but he isn't some stupid brute. He knows he can't kill us unless he or someone else has evidence against us concerning a crime. It's out of obedience of his only rule. If he decided to kill us without a trial, he'd make the _Kruziikke_ look weak…like we were fighting amongst ourselves…and that leads to something he fears most: a revolution. Until he finds a way for us to die without others accusing him of _lost sos nau ok jot_ , having blood on his maw, we're safe." The gray-green dragon's eyes slowly closed as he gave a long sigh.

"But why would he want to kill me?" I stared in the direction of Numinex's voice, waiting for an answer. "What have I done to him?"

A long silence followed, darkening my mind…pressing down against my shoulders. The awful silence that would not end. I sighed in relief as the pair of amber eyes reopened and gazed at me.

"You did nothing, Alduin. …You asked me about that little Nord's words…what he meant. It wasn't just gibberish. He knew. Just as Tahrodiisqosu'um knows. Just as I know. Alduin, you are the Firstborn of Akatosh…."


	9. Chapter 8

"What's that even supposed to mean?" I asked, lashing my tail on the ground in frustration. "Is this some kind of secret ritual the _Kruziikke_ use to control us? A public show? Am I some kind of sacrifice?"

"No, Alduin. The Firstborn of Akatosh isn't meant to die," Numinex replied, his voice cracking as though he had aged by centuries. "I should've told you sooner, warned you before something like this happened. _Krosis,_ my apologies…."

"Warned me about what?" I scraped my claws against the stone floor. "What in Oblivion even _is_ the Firstborn?! If it's so important, then why—?!"

 _"Drem,_ Alduin. There are many who wouldn't welcome the Firstborn. I had to wait until we were alone." His eyes burned like the Nords' fires as they locked with mine. "Long before you were hatched, before we dragons came to Tamriel, we lived in the land of Atmora, as you already know. Created to rule everything we could lay our eyes on, we, the children of Akatosh, live as gods on Nirn even today. Even with our power, there came rules that the _dov_ were to live by...and the _Kruziikke_. Syril the Wanderer, a young priest of Akatosh, delivered them to the dragons, according to older members of the _Kruziikke_. They named him _Bron se Pogaan Rotte_ , Nord of Many Words, because he rambled to himself in words they couldn't understand as he delivered Akatosh's message.

"Years passed, and Tahrodiisqosu'um gained control of our courts. He aided the corruption of the Kruziikke, and it's become the most vile thing in the world of dragons, a blemish to our way of life.

"One day, only a couple of years after I had been summoned to the _Kruziikke_ , Syril stumbled into our domain. It'd been sixty years since he had last spoken to the _Kruziikke_. His beard was the same color as Felbrombruniik's scales: pale white! And he was crazy as ever!"

"Tahrodiisqosu'um probably hated that!" I shook my head in astonishment as I thought of an old man interrupting a meeting composed of the most respected dragons.

"He did! And Syril... Oh, Syril... He gave us a prophecy concerning Tahrodiisqosu'um's downfall...and the Firstborn...

 _"When the sun turns black, two dragons will clash_

 _"A battle will take place in the skies_

 _"The Firstborn shall throw down the tyrant you serve_

 _"And free you from his ancient lies._

"The Firstborn would be—is the most powerful _dovah_ ever to soar over Nirn. His shouts can't be matched by any other, and his roar has the power to rain brimstone from the sky. He will rule all and usher in a golden age for the _dov. Joor_ and _dovah_ alike shall fear and revere him as supreme ruler. But these are nothing compared to his greatest power: the Mark of Akatosh! At least, that's what Syril told me before…."

"I see," I murmured, dipping my head at him. "No one interrupts Tahrodiisqosu'um's court like that. Unless they're _haalvut ko hadrim."_

I stared intently at the gray-green _dovah_ as I waited for an answer, my indirect accusation hanging in the stale air of our prison.

"I'll admit Syril wasn't in the best state of mind." The pair of amber eyes averted their gaze from mine. "But he's the reason I'm still alive. The _Kruziikke_ wanted to pitch me into some cruel game they invented where two _dov_ fought each other to entertain the others. The rules never said that dragons couldn't be killed, and I've never really been that popular with the _Kruziikke._ Syril interrupted right before the fight when he came to see us. Tahrodiisqosu'um was so angry, he forgot about the fighting games, and no one's about to remind him of anything when he's in one of his moods. Doing that is suicidal. I've never forgotten what he did for me that day. I wish I could've saved him…."

"But what's that mean? The Mark of Akatosh?" I asked, cocking my head in confusion.

"No one really knows. The prophecy's a little...vague, and Syril... He tended to be vague as well..." Numinex sighed, his eyes closing until they appeared to be crescent moons shining in the darkness. "But none of that matters now. Syril served his purpose, and we have to live in the present, instead of being haunted by the past…."

The gray-green _dovah_ began muttering unintelligible phrases, his voice barely audible.

"Numinex…." I took a deep, shaky breath, unwilling to interrupt his fervent whispering. "Syril never made it back to his home, did he?"

"Tahrodiisqosu'um didn't kill him, but Syril never made it back to his temple. A few days later, a small group of priests of Akatosh came looking for their leader. A couple of members of the _Kruziikke_ were sent out, but they came back unsuccessful. It's said he 'disappeared,' but I remember Bruniikloksivaas smelling of Nord blood the same day Syril came to us," Numinex replied. "I can't prove anything, though. He was really old. It wouldn't surprise me if Syril had just fallen prey to a pack of wolves or a saber-cat. The only thing that I can be sure of are his words. You're the Firstborn, Alduin!"

"Then explain why I'm here, stuck in this hole with you!" I bellowed, struggling to resist the urge to sink my teeth into my company's throat. "If I'm really who you say I am, shouldn't I have already killed Tahrodiisqosu'um?"

"There's no doubt in my mind you're the Firstborn," he answered. "Before he left the _Kruziikke,_ Syril stopped right in front of me…told me to 'listen to a voice of youth' to identify the Firstborn. The boy—"

"That doesn't make any sense!" I snarled. "An insane boy spouted all of this stuff about me, and now you're telling me I'm destined to defeat Tahrodiisqosu'um and rule over Tamriel, over _joorre_ and _dov?!_ _Losei haalvut ko hahdrim!_ You're touched in the mind!"

"Maybe so..." Numinex whispered. "Or maybe, I'm just hopeful…. Tell me, are you real?" He now stared pleadingly at me. "I'm not dreaming? Or dead?"

"By Akatosh, of course I'm real! I was thrown into this pit with you! What else do you need? Have you lost yourself completely?!" I hissed every one of my words through clenched teeth. "And as for your prophecy, I believe Syril was just as crazy as you!"

Growling in frustration, I turned my back to the _Kruziik_ and savored the long silence that followed. Numinex never bothered to continue to converse with me. He knew that his efforts would be futile.

 _Firstborn of Akatosh! I've never heard about that, not even from legend! Although Tahrodiisqosu'um probably wouldn't want a prophecy like this spreading around…._

I gave one final glance in the direction of Numinex before settling onto the cold stone beneath my claws. Shaking my head, I jerked my gaze away from the gray-green _dovah._

 _I probably shouldn't have been too harsh toward him…even if he wasn't making any sense._ _He may not have been in the best state of mind before his fight, but he took a bad hit to his leg and was thrown into the side of a mountain._

Shuddering, I remembered the blow that the _Kruziik_ had taken while defending me.

 _By Akatosh, what's to stop that from happening to me...or worse?!_

* * *

I started at the sound of stone sliding against stone as a weak beam of morning sunlight peeked through a small crack in the roof of our prison. I gazed at Numinex, my eyes resting on the sleeping _dovah's_ broken leg. Large, reddish-brown strips of mammoth hide had been wrapped around it tightly.

I looked down at my own wounds, finding thin lines of pink running along my belly. Tiny, light gray strands of a strange material I had never seen formed uniform, horizontal lines across my injuries. I heard Numinex clear his throat as I reached to cut the annoying eyesore. Confused, I turned to face him.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," he whispered. "The ground would run red if you did."

"What are they?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at the strange lines.

 _Is this another_ Kruziikke _trick?_

"Stitches, Alduin. They just hold your wounds together until they heal. Hmm...made of the finest gray thread... Snow-elves probably patched you up while you were knocked out," Numinex explained, lifting his head to the source of light. "The _dov_ are limited in their healing abilities. My broken leg could easily be looked after by a _dovah_. Your wounds required much more...delicate work..."

 _"Od-fahliil?_ Snow-elves? I thought we avoided each other. I've never seen one before..." I cocked my head in confusion at the _Kruziik._

"Normally, we would avoid each other, if the _Kruzikke_ weren't so willing to encroach themselves upon some of them. Some _od-fahliil_ work for us as medics and occasionally guards. In return, the _Kruziikke_ leaves the rest of the population of snow-elves alone." Numinex's eyes locked with mine as my wing-claw began to curl under the top stitch. "Please, Alduin, don't. You'll only make it worse... You're due for another trial today, Firstborn of Akatosh. Wouldn't want to have your scales bloodied, as if you were fighting. In a trial like this, anything can be used against you."

"I'm...I have to go back? Back to that _strunmah?_ Back to that court?!" Overwhelming dread stirred in the pit of my stomach like a boulder. "They're going to kill me!"

"Alduin, we don't know that," Numinex murmured, his eyes flashing from their usual shade of amber to a deep gold. "If you'll just calm down—"

"Your mind tricks won't change anything!" I snarled as I quickly turned to face the blinding light streaming from the tiny passageway to the outside world. "They're going to find me guilty, and you know it! I'm not about to be slaughtered like that! I'll...I'll fight my way out! Even if I die, I can at least take a few down with me..."

A menacing growl rose in my throat as an image of every _Kruziik_ lying in a heap of dead bodies before me flashed before my eyes. A smirk began to curl on my maw as I gazed at Tahrodiisqosu'um's lifeless body crumpled at the very top of the pile, blood tricking from his mouth and throat, his scales dull, his clouded eyes closed beneath violet lids, never to open again.

 _"Alduin, ni kos mey..._ Don't be a fool... I'm in no condition to help you this time..." Numinex whispered. "I know what you're thinking. Not now, Alduin. Your time will come and your destiny will be fulfilled, but only if you wait. Speak wisely, do as you're told, and don't fight, even if Bruniikloksivaas taunts you and lies in court. If you let your temper get the best of you, you'll be killed for sure."

Sighing, I dipped my head respectfully to the gray-green _dovah_ and returned my attention to his gaze. His words carried the truth; if I wanted to live, I could not act in anger during my trial.

"I'll try," I replied, my voice wavering. "I really will. I swear it..."

"Good. The guards will probably come for you very soon. They'll escort you into the court. Just remember what I said, and you'll see me again... Hopefully..." He closed his eyes and sighed heavily.

"What do you mean?" I asked, already knowing the answer before he even opened his mouth.

"The _Kruziikke_ have their chance to get rid of me. They've been wanting to do it for a while, and I broke the law when I attacked Bruniikloksivaas. If...if I—. Just promise me you'll continue to remember what I taught you." His eyes had returned to their usual color, an acknowledgment of my request not to be controlled by his gaze.

"Numinex...what if—?" I could not bear to finish the sentence.

 _"What if I die?!"_

The single question hung in the air. Though unspoken, those four words carried the power of the _thuum_ of all the _dov_ in Skyrim.

The gray-green _dovah_ never answered, only closed his eyes tightly. After a few heartbeats, he began his fervent murmuring. His raspy voice echoed in the small space as he continued to ramble his gibberish.

"By Akatosh, will you shut up?!" The hoarse voice of a _dovah_ growled.

I twisted my head toward the sudden, harsh sound of the stone roof being removed and the gruff voices of _Kruziikke_ guards snarling crude strings of commands intermingled with every form of cursing imaginable.

"So, you're the _dovah_ causing us to almost throw out our backs to get you out of that pit!" a scarred, forest-green dragon snarled, his poison-yellow eyes glaring into mine. "You're the one I went flying over half of Skyrim to summon to the _Kruziikke?_ Pathetic! And you weren't even there!"

"You nearly scared a poor female to death!" I growled, remembering Brityolvahdin's detailed description of the dragon who had frightened her.

"Oh, yes, that little _dovah_ you and Bruniikloksivaas have been fighting over... You know, she's not half bad. Quite a beauty..." The guard smirked at me, a taunting glint in his eyes.

"You'll keep away from her if—!" I snapped my jaws shut at Numinex's sudden silence.

The gray-green dragon had paused in his act of insanity. His wide-eyed stare pierced my mind, reminding me of my promise.

 _What am I doing? I can't let my anger get the best of me...not if I want to live!_

"Maybe both of you will kill each other over her. Then..." His voice trailed away as he held his gaze on me, his eyes glimmering with lust.

I remained silent and stared past him. Above his head, the deep blue sky promised pleasant weather for my trial.

 _And hunting. Brityolvahdin's probably out hunting right now._

I could see her perfectly in my head, fire shooting from her mouth, diving toward an injured mammoth, claws outstretched.

 _Her "signature move." That's what she calls it. And Paarthurnax... Is he chatting with the elders or maybe hunting with Brityolvahdin? Mother...Father... What would they think if they knew where I was? Oh, if they knew..._

"I wonder what'll happen when you're proven guilty at the trial today..." the scarred _dovah_ continued, chuckling gleefully. "I hope you don't make as much of a mess as the last one we took to the _Kruziikke."_

"For Akatosh's sake, leave him alone!" A dull brown female dragon landed in front of the green guard. "Sosgrahqeth, tormenting prisoners is not the job of the _Kruziik Vahlokke,_ the Ancient Guardians. Do your job correctly, or must I report you to the _Kruziikke_ themselves?!"

"Mulkendovvahdin, please," Sosgrahqeth replied, rolling his eyes at her. "You love teasing a prisoner just as much as the next guard. You've been so boring since Kreinyuvonviing dove into the mountain. The _Kruziikke_ should've known better than to roll his body off the side of the _strunmah_ like that. We're lucky it was so compact..."

Mulkendovvahdin's blood-curdling roar of anguish pierced the air as she clamped her long, gleaming fangs onto Sosgrahqeth's muzzle.

"HE WAS MY MATE!" she snarled, letting go of the guard.

"M-Mulkendovvahdin...forgive me. I-I didn't know he was—that you were—! _Krosis!"_ The forest-green _dovah_ stammered. "...Mulkendovvahdin...?"

"Shut your maw!" the dull brown dragon hissed, fangs bared. "I won't tolerate _dov_ who speak so cruelly of someone's passing! YOLDURKRII! DINOKVIIDOSTLUN! SEIZE HIM!"

I gasped as two identical blood-red dragons, each bearing dark brown spots on their yellow-tan wings, emerged from the small circle of guards surrounding _Dur Ahvid._ Deep orange eyes filled with bloodlust, they forced Sosgrahqeth to the ground. They knew a killing was nigh.

"Who are they, Numinex?" I whispered, unable to take my eyes off of the pair of _dov._

"Yoldurkrii and Dinokviidostlun, Tahrodiisqosu'um's executioners...and thugs. They're the ones who 'take care of business.' The _Kruziikke_ call them _Sahqo Geinne,_ The Red Ones. You've probably heard some stories of their...deeds."

"I...I thought they were just stories a mother would tell a misbehaving youngling..." My eyes widened in fear as I watched the two red dragons sink their wing claws into their victim's back.

I gasped at the immense size of the two dragons' weapons of choice. One stroke from a claw could easily have decapitated Sosgrahqeth. Wincing at the green dovah's shrieks of pain, I could not help but pity him.

 _By Akatosh, it's just like Mother's stories..._

Mother had often told me stories of Sahqo Geinne, vividly describing their savagery. She had often used them as a threat to keep me from misbehaving:

 _"Alduin, if you don't obey me,_ Sahqo Geinne _will come after you!"_

"So it's all true, then... The legends... They're real!" I whispered breathlessly, entranced by the violent scene taking place above Numinex and me.

"Shall we...finish?" one of The Red Ones asked.

I shuddered at the blood coating his maw and wing-claws...the familiarity of his grin at the sound of his victim's groans of pain.

 _That satisfied look...the look I had when I ripped open Bruniikloksivaas!_

Intense nausea gripped my stomach as Mulkendovvahdin gave a slow, silent nod.

"Look away, Alduin!" Numinex growled. "Don't watch!"

But my eyes were already fixed on the execution about to take place in front of me.


	10. Chapter 9

_What in Oblivion am I watching?!_

I flinched as Yoldurkrii and Dinokviidostlun sank their long, yellow fangs and savage wing-claws into Sosgrahqeth's wings, ripping the precious flaps of leathery skin that made flight possible. Blood spurted from the large tears, and the now-flightless _dovah_ gave a long, blood-curdling roar of pain.

"PLEASE!" he shrieked. "STOP! PLEASE!"

His words echoed around the mountain, permeating my mind. As _Sahqo Geinne_ suddenly pushed themselves off of him into the air, Sosgrahqeth gave another agonized screech, but no sound came out of his mouth. Soaring above their victim like buzzards, _Sahqo Geinne_ said nothing in reply. One heartbeat passed before they dove toward Sosgrahqeth, descending head-first, both _dov_ locked in a tight spiral.

 _"Yol-toor-_ shul!" The Red Ones bellowed, fire shooting from both dragons' mouths and forming a large cyclone of destruction. I froze in terror as the flames engulfed Sosgrahqeth, his agonized screams echoing across the land.

"HELP! PLEASE!" he cried out.

Then, the _dovah_ spoke no more. I watched as the reddish-orange fire licked his bones clean, leaving only a smoldering skeleton lying on the ground. Sosgrahqeth's empty eye sockets gazed sightlessly into the distance, and his muzzle portrayed the toothy grin of death.

"Alduin..." Numinex whispered. "Alduin! Are you—?"

"Yoldurkrii, fetch that _dur dovah,_ that accursed dragon!" Mulkendovvahdin bellowed, staring at me with narrowed eyes.

A glint of fear flashed in those pale yellow pools of light as I eagerly clambered out of _Dur Ahzid_. Taking a step away from me, she cleared her throat.

As Yoldurkrii and Dinokviidostlun landed before me, I shuddered. Their fetid breath hit my nostrils like the side of a cliff.

 _What in Oblivion does everyone eat around here that makes their breath smell so bad?_

 _"Bo, bruniik._ Come, savage. The court awaits!" Yoldurkrii growled. "Best not to keep the _Kruziikke_ waiting. Follow me..."

With a couple of wingbeats, he had soared into the sky, followed by Dinokviidostlun.

I shakily launched myself into the air and fell into formation behind them, staring in horror at the bleak, stony mountainside below us, where the blackened remains of Sosgrahqeth lay as a testament of the cruelty of the _bruniikke_ , the savages who ruled over us.

 _Will that happen to me?! Am I going to die?!_

"We're sorry you had to see that," Yoldurkrii murmured, turning his head to look at me. "Mulkendovvahdin is...going through hard times, what with her mate..."

"What happened, anyway?" I asked. "Surely, Sosgrahqeth can't just be killed because he was unnecessarily crude. Did he kill her mate?"

"Sosgrahqeth? Kill a fellow guard?" Dinokviidostlun chuckled. "Akatosh, no! He'd be too stupid to get away with a murder for this long! Mulkendovvahdin was probably already wanting to execute him. She's also been _halvuut ko hahdrim_ ever since the _Kruziikke_ forced her mate to become their servant. Punishment for his inability to catch an escaped prisoner."

"Starvation and exhaustion did the rest." Yoldurkrii shook his head. "We knew him. He was an old friend of ours. Last time I saw him, though, he wasn't the same at all. His golden scales... They were all brown! He turned pitifully thin and weak..."

"I heard his scales fell out completely in some places," Dinokviidostlun whispered hoarsely. "Is it true, brother?"

I gasped, remembering the beaten-down servant I had encountered while summoned by the _Kruziikke._ "That _dovah_ who brought Miraak into the court... He was—"

"Yes. Kreinyuvonviing died in court...or so they told us," Yoldurkrii replied. "Never got to see the mess, but I heard it was an easy clean."

"Wish I'd been there." Dinokviidostlun's maw opened into a yawn, revealing every one of his stained, yellow fangs. "That flesh would've been tough..."

"You eat other _dov?!"_ My stomach clenched at the revolting sentence that had left Dinokviidostlun's mouth. "But...but you said he was your friend!"

"The _Kruziikke_ don't feed their guards, and what little time they do have to themselves, they're too tired to hunt. Besides, there're so many executions, and somebody has to clean it up. We're the exceptions, of course," Yoldurkrii answered. "No, we'd never eat another _dovah,_ but for most, meat is meat."

"And I'm not going to get in the way of a hungry _Vahlok._ I've got the scar on my tail to know better." Dinokviidostlun flicked his tail, revealing a thin, pale circle of bite marks on the tip of his tail. "Would've lost it, if Yoldurkrii hadn't given him a good bite to the throat."

"I've seen you give better." A toothy grin spread across Yoldurkrii's muzzle. "Remember that frost-breather? The one with only three legs?"

"As I recall, brother, you were the one who ripped it off!" Dinokviidostlun chuckled. "He was on trial for attacking a _Kruziik,_ if I remember correctly."

"Yes, same as this one." Yoldurkrii glanced over his shoulder at me before returning his attention to the course ahead of him. "What's your name?"

"Alduin," I answered. "My name is Alduin."

"Alduin..." the thug replied. "You're that _dovah_ that killed Bruniikloksivaas, aren't you? Know how long it's been since that's happened? The killing of a _Kruziik?"_

"At least a century!" Dinokviidostlun interjected. "Brother, do you know what he is?!"

"He's a threat!" Yoldurkrii burst into throaty laughter. "You listen to me, Alduin. We know all about threats...and what happens to them."

"Don't be so...outright in your defiance. We live under the ebony claws of the _Kruziikke._ Their emotional whims are our laws. We either submit...or die." Dinokviidostlun shuddered, as if some vague, horrific memory had sprung into his mind.

"But what if our laws make no sense?" I struggled to keep my voice steady as I questioned _Sahqo Geinne._ "Besides, when do laws apply to you, anyway? You're both _krivaanne,_ killers. You live to slaughter!"

"We could say the same thing about you," Yoldurkrii answered. "We were there when you killed Bruniikloksivaas. Both of us were perched on that mountain-top overlooking the place where it all began. I saw the bloodlust in your eyes... We're not as different as you think."

"We actually wanted to congratulate you on it," Dinokviidostlun confessed. "We've both been wanting to scar up Bruniikloksivaas's pretty scales for some time now. All the females around here crowd around him and talk about his 'shiny, golden scales.' Can't get a mate for their obsession with him!"

"What did I do to kill him?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at Yoldurkrii.

"You gutted him beautifully," the red _dovah_ replied. "You'd make a fine executioner! Who knows? If things work out, you might be able to join us."

"H-how...?" I whispered, my heart pounding in my chest.

 _We were out in the wilderness! Could someone else have seen me do it?!_

"Don't worry. No one else saw you," Yoldurkrii explained. "Some of the high-ranking _Vahlokke_ receive certain benefits like members of the _Kruziikke."_

He swung his head from side to side as we continued our flight, Dinokviidostlun copying him. Their earlier banter had been frozen by the fierce chill in the air, and they now flew in silence. Muscles tensed, they both matched their speed with mine, falling back so that one soared on either side of me.

"You know..." It was Dinokviidostlun who broke the silence. "What the _Kruziikke_ did to Kreinyuvonving, Mulkendovvahdin's mate... It was brutal. For them to take a _dovah,_ starve him, beat him, turn him into the poor soul he became..."

"There's something wrong about that," Yoldurkrii finished. "But what else are we going to do? It's not like we can leave."

"No, it's not." Dinokviidostlun sighed through his nose. "Alduin, try not to lose in court. We'd hate to kill you. You seem to be a fine _dovah,_ and any enemy of Bruniikloksivaas is a friend of ours. But you understand business..."

"Of course," I snarled under my breath as we swooped into the familiar snow-filled clearing of the Throat.

I took a deep breath as I landed in front of a furious Tahrodiisqosu'um. Meeting his stormy gaze with a neutral expression, I folded my wings at my sides.

 _Let's get this over with..._


	11. Chapter 10

"Alduin, you have once again been called to our court of law for another serious offense..." Tahrodiisqosu'um growled, his wing claws flexing in and out of the snow beneath him. "If you do not reconsider your behavior, I will have no choice but to execute a guilty _dovah_. You are being tried for aggression toward Bruniikloksivaas. Assaulting a _Kruziik_ is one of the worst laws that a _dovah_ could possibly break, punishable by death. What do you say in your defense?"

I opened my mouth to speak, the fire of pure hatred burning in my bones. It licked the undersides of my scales...consumed my heart. The raging heat rushed into my face, blazing torturously as the stinging comment made its way to my tongue.

 _"Don't be a fool..."_

Numinex's raspy whisper forced me to snap my maw closed...to bite my tongue...to ignore the firestorm raging within my soul. Every one of my muscles locked, and the sharp, metallic taste of my own blood filled my mouth.

 _He's right. I have to try._

I silently stood to my full height, my head held regally as I politely answered my judge.

"One must not automatically assume that a _Kruziik_ always tells the truth, especially when a _vahdin,_ a maiden is involved."

"Are you accusing a _Kruziik_ of lying?" the purple dragon chuckled, spreading his wings to their full width, his shoulder spikes gleaming formidably in the sunlight. "Bruniikloksivaas is one of the most trusted members of the _Kruziikke."_

"If what I'm saying is the truth, then I'm not accusing him of anything. I'm simply stating what happened. Bruniikloksivaas came from the Throat with the full intention of my murder," I answered. "The first thing he did was dig his claws into my stomach."

Lifting my wings, I reared onto my legs in order to show the purple _Kruziik_ my deep wounds. Though the stitches held my flesh together, they could not completely mask the marks of Bruniikloksivaas's wing-claws.

 _They're going to leave awful scars. By Akatosh, I'm going to be marked by Bruniikloksivaas for life!_

Tahrodiisqosu'um said nothing, only gave a dismissive grunt before nodding the snow drift where Bruniikloksivaas sat.

The golden _dovah_ blinked slowly at his leader before swooping from his perch and alighting himself beside me. Emerald-green eyes glimmering with confidence, he lowered his head and flattened his body in a graceful bow.

"My esteemed leader, I humbly thank you for allowing me to speak at this time. When I was given the honor by you to look after Alduin, I flew to the riverbank where he was resting immediately. Upon my arrival, that _dur dovah_ sprang at me! I managed to react quickly enough and subdued him. I barely escaped with my life! Any wounds that you see were a complete act of self-defense." The words rolled off of Bruniikloksivaas's tongue in a deep-throated purr.

"And where are your wounds?" I asked, nodding to his unmarred body. "If I really attacked you, and you really 'barely escaped with your life,' wouldn't you have at least some scratches or bite marks? The only thing I see is that scar I gave you when I killed you."

Only too late did I realize the mistake that I had made.

"SILENCE!" Tahrodiisqosu'um's earth-shattering roar could be heard from the edges of Skyrim.

Growling, he closed his poison-yellow eyes. After a heartbeat of silence, he flung them open, revealing two orbs of blazing white. Hot, lavender streaks of lightening burst from his mouth, hitting me in my chest.

Intense, searing pain coursed through me as his breath struck me. I let out a shriek of agony, watching my wings and legs jerk uncontrollably. Spasm after spasm wracked my body, and I found myself slipping into darkness as my surroundings began to grow dim.

 _No... I must hold on! For my parents, my brother, Brityolvahdin!_

I relaxed as the final moment of pain passed, staring at Tahrodiisqosu'um, my eyes widened in fear.

"I will not tolerate rude comments in my court! We are not here to discuss your petty mate rivalry. Now that you have been punished for your outburst, we shall proceed... Bruniikloksivaas, please finish your testimony to the court," the purple _dovah_ calmly murmured as if nothing had happened.

"When I had finally gotten him underneath my claws, he began to mumble to himself. I could not hear all of the words, but I certainly heard 'kill' and _'Kruziikke'_ in the same sentence," the golden dragon snarled as he threw me a venomous glance. "We all know how Numinex acts at certain times. Alduin was not only mimicking that behavior, but also was physically violent. That _dovah_ is a danger to our kind and needs to be put to death!"

 _LIAR! And all of this to take Brityolvahdin for yourself!_

"You have put forth your testimony, Bruniikloksivaas. Remember, the court decides the penalty," Tahrodiisqosu'um replied. "Or I invoke it."

"May I also add that Alduin is untrained in the proper protocol and has shown disrespect to our court with his irreverence. Should we really trust a _dovah_ who does not know how to properly conduct himself?" Bruniikloksivaas glanced around the Throat of the World, his piercing gaze trained on the members of the _Kruziikke._ "Is this what we want loosened in our society? This insanity?"

"Thank you, Bruniikloksivaas. You may return to your perch," Tahrodiisqosu'um replied, giving the golden dragon a dismissive nod.

"Of course." After another dramatic bow, Bruniikloksivaas obeyed Tahrodiisqosu'um's command.

The entire court immediately silenced, all eyes trained on the purple _dovah_ who commanded the court.

"What say you?" He swept his gaze over the _Kruziikke._ "Is Alduin innocent or guilty of this crime?"

The voices of the _Kruziikke_ rose as one, each answer crashing over like waves against a seashore.

"Guilty!"

"Guilty!"

"Guilty!"

"Alduin, the _Kruziikke_ have spoken," Tahrodiisqosu'um announced. "Your crimes are too serious to avoid any longer. I sentence you to death in three days' time. To show the _Kruziikke's_ generosity, we will allow your family and close friends to see you one final time before witnessing your execution."

Complete dread washed over me as I stood before the leader of the _Kruziikke._ My blood froze in my veins, the chill traveling through me until it reached my heart. The fire that had raged within me only a few heartbeats ago flickered and died, leaving behind only ashes.

 _By Akatosh, don't think about ashes now!_

I flinched as the memory of Sosgrahqeth filled my mind. Another pile of blackened bones would be shoved off of the side of a mountain to be gnawed by starving _vahlokke_.

 _If there'll even be any bones left! Brityolvahdin, Paarthurnax, Numinex, I'm sorry! So sorry! I failed! I failed, and now, I'm going to die!_

I desired to let out an agonized wail, to kill the deathly silence that had followed my conviction, but my mouth would not open.

 _Maybe this is all just a nightmare! If I open my eyes, this'll all go away! Wake up! Wake up..._

The only answer that I received was a frigid gust of northern wind. Shivering, I crept toward the path leading away from the Throat.

 _It's real. So real..._

I barely heard the muffled chuckles of Bruniikloksivaas as I felt myself being guided down the mountain away from the court. Yoldurkrii and Dinokviidostlun had been waiting for me at the Throat's exit and now swept me down the _strunmah_ with their spotted wings.

"Alduin, we...we're..." Yoldurkrii whispered as he nudged me with his head.

"It's over..." I mumbled, flapping my wings before launching myself into the air. Those were the only words I could say.

 _I guess the old saying really is true:_ nid koraav Kruziikke ahrk laney... _No one sees the Ancients and lives._

"Alduin..." Dinokviidostlun began, but I ignored the rest of his words. I heard nothing. Felt nothing.

 _No, I feel one thing... Defeat..._


	12. Chapter 11

"You fool! Why didn't you run?! Why didn't you—?!" Brityolvahdin's sobs echoed in the stony pit that I shared with Numinex. "I told you to hide! I could've helped you. I could've..."

"What good would it have done if I had? They would've hunted me down and killed me anyway. And what about you and your family...my family? It's better this way," I whispered, gently touching my nose to hers. "At least Tahrodiisqosu'um had the decency to l—"

"Decency? Decency?!" she scoffed. "That's what Bruniikloksivaas had when he tore you open like that!" She pointed a wing-claw at my stitched-up wounds. "By Akatosh, I'm going to kill that worm!"

"And then you'll die, as well," Numinex interrupted, sitting up. His leg still wrapped in mammoth hide, the pitiful excuse for a _Kruziik_ could not walk at all. "The _Kruziikke_ have methods of finding murderers, and even if you did kill him, Tahrodiisqosu'um knows a resurrection shout."

 _I wonder what will happen to him once I'm executed? Will he face Tahrodiisqosu'um himself? Probably not..._

"It'd be better than being a coward!" Brityolvahdin shook her head, warm tears splashing onto the stony ground. "I should've done something! I should've—!"

"Enough, Brityolvahdin," I murmured, spreading my wings toward her.

Without another word, the scarlet _dovah_ flung herself into my embrace. Muzzle pressed against my shoulder, she continued her muffled sobbing.

"Ah, you're the _vahdin,_ the maiden that Alduin has mentioned a few times..." Numinex nodded at the _dovah_ wrapped in my wings. "You're quite beautiful. Smart, too, from what I've heard."

I growled in reply at his words, and he quickly closed his maw.

 _Can't he shut up?! He's not helping!_

"Of course, I understand that this is...difficult," Numinex continued haltingly. "I just wanted to say that...that if it comes to a fight between Alduin and Tahrodiisqosu'um, you might not have to mourn."

"Again with this Firstborn of Akatosh carrion?!" I rolled my eyes, struggling to resist the urge to snap Numinex's other leg, or at least to give him a few scars that he would remember.

 _He won't think twice about testing me, of all the_ dov. _He doesn't think I'm a threat. Still, after the countless times he's had to keep quiet, he's probably relieved that he can speak with another_ dovah _and not worry about being turned into a pile of ashes, and he won't have me to keep him company after tonight..._

"I know what I saw and heard!" Numinex answered. "The boy—"

"Was insane!" I finished. "You're insane! Stop calling me 'Firstborn'! It's over, Numinex! I'm going to die tomorrow!"

I froze at my own words, my heart pounding within my chest. Drawing a shaky breath, I released my hold on Brityolvahdin. Though my high body temperature could keep me decently comfortable in Skyrim's worst blizzards, I felt a dark chill seep into my bones.

 _I'm going to die tomorrow..._

The harsh reality had finally gripped me, allowing me to fully comprehend the words that had just come out of my mouth. I was going to die, and there was nothing that I could do about it. _Sahqo Geinne_ would tear my flesh until I was nothing more than pieces, my bones would be charred, and then, my remains would be dumped off of the side of the mountain to be picked over by the _Kruziikke's_ cannibalistic guards.

 _And Bruniikloksivaas is going have that annoying smirk on his muzzle through the whole thing!_

"Brityolvahdin," I growled. "Will you do me a favor?"

"Of course I will! What is it?" she asked, tears still trickling down her cheeks.

"If you ever get the chance, I want you to reject Bruniikloksivaas in the rudest way possible! Tell him exactly who he is: a stinking load of carrion that's too rotten for wolves to eat! Unless..." I stared at the ground and scraped it with my wing-claws, too nervous to finish the rest of the sentence.

"Alduin, I told you that I love you! No golden scales are going to change that! After all of this, why would you ever think I'd be interested in that murderer?" The shock in Brityolvahdin's voice pierced my heart like a dragon's wing-claw.

"You...you weren't interested in him? At all?" I lifted my gaze and locked eyes with her, warm relief washing over me as soon as I saw the loving smile that greeted me.

"Of course not," she replied. "I just didn't want him to drag anyone to the Throat on charges for inhospitality. You know they do that, sometimes..."

"She's right." Numinex cleared his throat as he lay back down onto the ground. "It actually happened a couple of decades ago. Felbrombruniik was displeased by what he called 'a show of inhospitality' when he visited a group of _dov_ who lived west of here. They were all found guilty, of course."

"Your time's up!" Yoldurkrii snarled, peering into the pit before gliding down to join us. "I'm sorry... I tried to give you extra time, but if I allow you to stay any longer, there might be two executions tomorrow instead of one."

Brityolvahdin said nothing, only touched noses with me before leaving my prison. She seemed as if she were ready to burn Bruniikloksivaas into ashes as she flew out of my pit and into the pale gray sky.

"That the one Bruniikloksivaas says he's going to win?" Yoldurkrii asked, turning to me. He burst out in bellowing laughter as I silently nodded. "I'd like to see it happen! That might not be such a bad idea...tell the golden worm that she loves him. Then, I can watch. Maybe I'll see some bloodshed—!"

Growling, I charged at the thug. He bit back a cry of pain as I clamped my jaws over the end of his tail and sank my fangs into his flesh. The sharp taste of blood filled my mouth, and I glanced up at him to see his eyes scrunched tightly and his teeth clenched together. After a few heartbeats, I allowed his tail to drop out of my maw.

"Sorry..." He stared at the new bite mark on the spade-like end of his tail. "I shouldn't have said that. I just...forget sometimes. You know, if I didn't have to kill you, I'd beg for Tahrodiisqosu'um to let you work with Dinokviidostlun and me. We actually made up this great killing move a few months ago, but we can't do it without a third _dovah..."_

"May I just see my parents and my brother?!" I roared, glaring at him.

"Oh...yes, of course." The red _dovah_ dipped his head before returning to his position at the entrance to _Dur Ahzid._

"That's the first time I've ever seen Yoldurkrii apologize to someone other than Tahrodiisqosu'um." Numinex gave me a toothy grin. "And if you've won his respect, you've won Dinokviidostlun's. I don't know how you managed to do it."

"It doesn't matter. They're still not about to let me escape. Not when they'd be risking their own lives."

"Alduin—" Numinex began, but he quickly closed his mouth at the sound of a hoarse greeting overhead.

"Father..." I whispered as the mud-brown dragon landed before me.

"Alduin." His long, black claws scraped the ground, leaving white marks in the stone. "How did this happen?"

"I...I don't know," I answered. "I tried, Father, but... If it weren't for Bruniikloksivaas—"

"I know," he interrupted, closing his sky-blue eyes. "I know..."

He said nothing more, only stood before me, his face lacking any emotion. His scythe-like scales running along his back matched mine almost perfectly. The pair of ebony-black horns that reflected the curves of my own served as another reminder of his contribution to my looks.

For a few precious heartbeats, we stood in silence, eyes locked. I knew what Father was thinking, saw it hidden in the depths of his mind.

"Paarthurnax won't ever take a mate," I murmured.

"No. He won't." Father sighed heavily, tears rimming his sky-blue eyes. "I'm not just losing my son."

I would not be the only _dovah_ whose existence ended; any future generations, younglings that I could have raised, would be lost forever. Paarthurnax took no interest in any of the local females, but in the attainment of knowledge and wisdom. My parents would never see their grandchildren playing in the mountains or hunting in the wilderness.

"But I hold nothing against your brother," he continued, staring sightlessly at the pale gray sky. "His wisdom and kindness will be a gift upon all the _dov."_

"I'm sorry..." I shook my head, surprising myself with the steadiness of my own voice. "I could've done better at that trial...maybe have gotten out of this somehow. If I hadn't—"

 _No!_

I closed my maw and sniffed the chilly northern gust sweeping in the oncoming storm.

 _I can't tell him—any of them! If they were to find out..._

"You couldn't have done anything else, Alduin." Father nudged my forehead with his nose. "No one could have. I should've seen this coming...listened to Brityolvahdin..."

He never had the chance to say anything else before Yoldurkrii leaped into the pit and escorted him into the outside world.

In a couple of heartbeats, Father was replaced by a small, slate-gray dovah. Her silvery eyes sparkled with unshed tears as she flung herself onto me. Though she made no sound, I felt the warm drops of liquid splash onto my shoulder. After what seemed to be centuries of silence, she released her hold.

Every one of my muscles locked as she pulled away from me.

 _Has Yoldurkrii come for her already?!_

"You're...not crying..." She cocked her head at me. "Are...are you...?"

 _She's right! I want to cry! I wish I could..._

"I don't feel anything, Mother. I'm completely...numb," I answered. "Maybe...maybe it's because I know they can't do anything else after this. Once I'm dead, they won't chase after you, Paarthurnax, Father, or Brityolvahdin, unless you do something foolish. Tahrodiisqosu'um has gotten what he wants."

"I don't care about that!" she hissed. "I want my son to be hunting with his brother and mate! To Oblivion with the _Kruziikke!"_

"Mother!" I gasped, widening my eyes in shock.

 _Mother never uses language like that! Ever!_

"I'm sorry, but your time's up." Yoldurkrii's gruff voice echoed above us. "If I give any more time, I'll face Tahrodiisqosu'um tomorrow, too."

"You!" Mother growled, baring her sharp, white fangs at the thug. "You're the murderer who's going to kill my son! Scream in Oblivion, you monster! You and your brother!"

Yoldurkrii stared down into _Dur Ahzid,_ eyes as round as moons as he witnessed my mother's wrath. Giving a silent nod, he backed away from the pit.

"Mother...don't. You'll only make it worse." Touching my nose to the top of her head, I closed my eyes tightly. "I love you..."

As soon as I opened my eyes, she had disappeared, and a familiar, thoughtful roar rang out above me, signifying the golden-brown _dovah's_ arrival.

"The world has become a dismal place..." he murmured as he glided into my prison.

"That's an odd greeting, brother," I replied, giving him a tiny smirk. _"Drem-yol-lok, Paarthurnax."_

"Alduin," he began pensively. "Have you...have you truly prepared yourself? Are you at peace?"

I froze as he locked his sky-blue eyes with mine.

"Don't worry about me, Paarthurnax. Just promise me you'll look after our parents, especially Mother. Don't let her do anything! And please, don't die!" I growled, praying that Paarthurnax would remain forever safe, forever wise.

"I can't promise my immortality. The future isn't as clear as we like to make it seem. But I'll do my best to protect Mother and Father," he replied. "...I see you have someone to keep you company..."

Paarthurnax pointed to where Numinex lay with a small wing-claw. He smiled as I rolled my eyes at the sleeping form of my fellow prison mate.

"Must have fallen asleep while Father and Mother we're visiting. He talks to himself," I snarled. "I think all his years of serving as a member of the _Kruziikke_ drove him insane. He hasn't said a single thing that's made any sense, since we first met."

"Not everything makes sense," my brother answered. "Sometimes, you just have to take it on faith..."

With a final nod, he launched himself out of _Dur Ahzid_ and into the darkening sky. Pale lightning flashed above him as he disappeared from my sight, signaling the approaching storm.

Only heartbeats later, I heard stone grinding against stone and watched the sky disappear behind the boulder serving as a barrier between the pit's exit and me.

"Your brother... He's a strange creature." Numinex's raspy voice caused me to start. His eyes gleamed in the darkness: two amber pools of light, both focused on me.

"I thought you were asleep!" I roared. "Your eyes were closed!"

"And...wise for his age," Numinex continued, as if he had not heard me. "When did he first gain the yearning for wisdom?"

"He was hatched with it. I can't remember a day that went by where he wasn't talking with the elders of our community. He's not much of a hunter, but the things he understands... They're incredible!" I answered as I flopped onto the stony ground and closed my eyes.

I may as well enjoy my dreams one last time. At the very least, it'll keep me from having to listen to Numinex.

"Alduin, you mustn't lose hope. You have so many talents. Use them when the time comes..." Numinex began, but the rest of his words never reached me. I had already fallen asleep awaiting dawn...and my death...


	13. Chapter 12

"Fellow members of the _Kruziikke_ , we have gathered here, at the Throat of the World, to fulfill the execution of Alduin, dark assailant of both _joor..._ and _dovah!"_ Tahrodiisqosu'um's words echoed in deep bellows as he gazed at me in disgust. "He stands before me now, guilty, after a unanimous verdict by the _Kruziikke..."_

I stood before him, unable to lift a wing-claw off of the ground. My wings felt as if they were weighed down with enormous boulders, though nothing physically kept me from fleeing. Sighing, I stole a couple of glances at Yoldurkrii and Dinokviidostlun.

 _Sahqo Geinne_ had taken their positions on either side of me, Yoldurkrii positioned at my left and Dinokviidostlun standing at my right. Both of them carried grim frowns as they returned my gaze.

"We're sorry," Yoldurkrii mouthed, closing his orange eyes and shaking his head. His brother nodded in agreement.

"It's okay." I replied in the same manner. "It's okay..."

 _Is it?_

The question reverberated in my mind as I tuned out Tahrodiisqosu'um's longwinded speech of my "crimes." It had first made itself known to me when I had opened my eyes that morning.

 _Or maybe it was already there...hidden. I just never thought to pay attention to it until now._

"Odd how we're doing this here," Dinokviidostlun's hoarse whisper brought me back into the present. "Normally, we go to the location of the _vothaarn dovah's_ home place. Times have really changed, brother."

"Shut up!" Yoldurkrii snapped, his voice, though sharp, quieter than Dinokviidostlun's. "You know what happens when a _dovah_ interrupts Tahrodiisqosu'um while he's giving one of his speeches."

"But don't you find it odd how they allowed no other _dovah_ but his family and that female?" Dinokviidostlun replied, discreetly motioning with his wing-claw to the rocky ledges hanging over the Throat of the World, where my parents, Paarthurnax, and Brityolvahdin sat among a large group of _Kruziikke_ members. "Something's wrong here. It's not like Tahrodiisqosu'um to keep an execution like this so private."

"And he doesn't do anything without a reason for it," Yoldurkrii agreed. "But there's only one thing that'd keep him from making this public."

"A revolution," Dinokviidostlun finished in a quiet growl. "But...how could the killing of this _dovah—?"_

"Yoldurkrii and Dinokviidostlun shall give this...this _bruniik_ the punishment that he deserves. Alduin, step forward!" Tahrodiisqosu'um thundered from his perch on top of a large snow drift.

Without a word, I obeyed the purple _dovah._ I caught a glimpse of Bruniikloksivaas' toothy grin from where I stood, but I had no desire to hurl a final insult at him. The numbness that had claimed me the day before kept me from doing anything other than obeying Tahrodiisqosu'um's orders.

 _This is it. This is how I'll die..._.

I had never dwelt upon the idea of my death. With my immortality, I had expected to meet my descendants thousands of years into the future, hunt with my mate and brother...

 _But it's over._

"NO!" Brityolvahdin's shriek pierced the air as she flung herself between me and the _Kruziikke_ leader. "I won't let you kill him!"

"The decision has been made," Tahrodiisqosu'um replied. "Alduin has been found guilty by the _Kruziikke_ of one of the worst crimes a _dovah_ can commit. There is nothing you can do."

"Actually, if I remember right, there's one way." Yoldurkrii nodded to the scarlet female. "There's a law going back to when the _Kruziikke_ first started. If a bystander believes an execution is unjust, he or she can fight to the death with the leader of the _Kruziikke._ If she wins, Alduin goes free."

"And she becomes the new ruler," Dinokviidostlun finished, flashing me a tiny smile.

"Yes, but if she loses, she dies in his place." The purple tyrant gave Brityolvahdin a wicked grin. "Not many would challenge me. It has been centuries since I have had to defend the ruling of the _Kruziikke..."_

"Stop, Brityolvahdin! PLEASE!" I cried out, ramming her away from Tahrodiisqosu'um. "She doesn't mean a word of what she says! She—!"

"I mean everything!" Brityolvahdin snarled. "I'll do it."

"So be it..." Tahrodiisqosu'um leaped off of his perch and landed in front of her. "Yoldurkrii! Dinokviidostlun! Seize the prisoner!"

"NO!" I roared, gritting my teeth in pain as _Sahqo Geinne_ sank their savage wing-claws into my shoulders. "Don't! Brityolvahdin, don't do this!"

"I'm sorry, Alduin." Brityolvahdin gave me a small nod before turning to face Tahrodiisqosu'um.

Growling, she lunged at the leader of the _Kruziikke._ I could only watch in horror as Tahrodiisqosu'um slashed at Brityolvahidin's eyes with his savage wing-claws. The scarlet female screeched as the hooked weapons made contact with her flesh. Drops of blood splattered onto the ground, leaving crimson stains in the white snow.

"You poor, foolish _vahdin..."_ the tyrant chuckled as he pulled away from her, Brityolvahdin's blood dripping off of his wing-claw. "Do you really think you can kill me?" He began to circle her like a wolf…ready to kill.

Brityolvahdin did not reply, only glared at him, panting. Baring her teeth, she growled savagely at him.

"I see you do not want to waste your energy talking," Tahrodiisqosu'um continued. "Smart. I can see why Bruniikloksivaas is quite smitten by you. It is quite...unfortunate that I have to kill such a _brit vahdin,_ a beautiful maiden."

"Get away from her!" With an earth-shattering roar, I struggled out of _Sahqo Geinne's_ grasps and leapt at Brityolvahdin's adversary.

Heartbeats before my teeth sank into his throat, I felt the sharp wing-claws of Yoldurkrii and Dinokviidostlun digging into my shoulders for the second time. The scratches I received stung like fire, and I grunted in pain as they pulled me down to the ground and flipped me onto my back. Dinokviidostlun shook his head at me, a glint of sorrow in his eyes.

I could do nothing, say nothing, as I lay underneath them, forced to watch the death match between Brityolvahdin and the most powerful member of the _Kruziikke._ As much as my mind screamed for me to struggle, to fight, my body would not move. Every one of my muscles had locked, as if they had been hit by Bruniikloksivaas's frost breath.

I watched as Brityolvahdin snapped at Tahrodiisqosu'um's wings with her gleaming, white fangs. Though a long, deep gash marred the side of her head, she matched the intensity of Tahrodiisqosu'um's strike with her bite.

The purple _dovah_ bellowed in pain as her dagger-like fangs pierced the tender membrane on the tip of his wing. He escaped Brityolvahdin's grip, but not without a wound. Twisting his head to observe his bloodied wingtip, he gave a low chuckle.

"Not bad," he praised tauntingly as he launched himself into the air. _"Fo-krah_ -diin!"

Frost shot out of his mouth toward the scarlet female.

 _"Yol-toor_ -shul!" she replied, fire streaking into the air toward the _Kruziikke_ leader as she dodged his deadly breath.

I smirked as her fire made contact with his belly and burst into laughter at his long scream of agony.

"SILENCE HIM!" Tahrodiisqosu'um thundered.

I immediately felt Yoldurkrii's long teeth clamping around my muzzle. His foul breath assaulted my nostrils, and I gagged at the stench.

The rest of the _Kruziikke_ was in an uproar. A large group of the savage rulers of our land had circled my parents and Paarthurnax in order to keep them from joining Brityolvahdin, snapping at them with savage, stained fangs. The few members not actively participating in the bloodbath unfolding on the mountaintop roared crude insults and cheered their approval of the scene before them.

"Send her to Oblivion, Tahrodiisqosu'um!"

"By Akatosh! You fight like a whelp!"

"Get her good and bloody!"

I lost all sense of time as the two _dov_ climbed higher into the sky. I only heard the taunts and cheers of the _Kruziikke_ members as I lay under the weight of _Sahqo Geinne._

Suddenly, a blood-curdling shriek pierced the air as Tahrodiisqosu'um plummeted from the sky, landing a short distance from me. The scent of burnt flesh hit my nostrils, and dark blood stained the snow underneath his leg. I felt Yoldurkrii and Dinokviidostlun lessen their grip on me, and a silence fell over the _Kruziikke_ as they stared at their leader.

Growling, the purple dragon rose to his feet and stood motionless as Brityolvadin landed on a rocky ledge near him. Tahrodiisqosu'um never flinched, never glanced in her direction as she sprang at his side. Heartbeats before she could stop herself, he rammed his formidable shoulder spike into her tender chest.

"NO!" I cried out, wrenching my muzzle out of Yoldurkrii's powerful jaws and flinging _Sahqo Geinne_ off of me.

Snarling, I leaped to my feet and rushed toward her. I saw the light fade from Brityolvahdin's eyes, but I continued my desperate effort.

"Alduin! Stop! It's too late!" I felt Dinokviidostlun's wing-claws in my back and the weightlessness of being knocked off of my feet.

 _No! I can save her! I have time! I have—_

Tahrodiisqosu'um gave me a toothy grin as the scarlet female's body slipped off of his shoulder-spike. Now wet with blood, it served as another blaring reminder of the cruelty of the _Kruziikke._

 _"Yol-toor_ -shul!" he roared, flames consuming her lifeless body, burning her beautiful, shimmering scales, turning her flesh and even her bones to ashes.

"PLEASE! NO! Please..." I begged, struggling underneath Dinokviidostlun's weight. Though I thrashed my tail, hoping to stun the red _dovah_ with its large, flat tip, I could not free myself. With each movement, my strength ebbed, until I sank into the frigid snow and allowed my eyes to close to a dizzying darkness...


	14. Chapter 13

_This has to be a nightmare! My beautiful fire maiden...is dead?!_

I had opened my eyes to the darkness of _Dur_ _Ahzid_ and had remained silent for half a day. Numinex's amber eyes had glowed questioningly at me, but I had not mentioned how I had been spared by the _Kruziikke_.

"Alduin..." he finally whispered, snapping me from my dark memory. "What happened?"

"They killed her, Numinex," I replied, the words numbly rolling off of my tongue. "Tahrodiisqosu'um killed her."

"Alduin, I...I'm sorry." He closed his eyes as he spoke. "I'm so sorry..."

"She didn't deserve to die like that!" Shaking my head, I glared icily at the _Kruziik_. "Tahrodiisqosu'um! I'll kill that worm! If I'd been able to throw Sahqo Geinne off..."

"Even if you had succeeded in killing Tahrodiisqosu'um, the rest of the Kruziikke would've torn you apart," the gray-green _dovah_ interrupted. "You would've made the law forfeit, and then, your whole family would've died. There was nothing you could've done, even if _Sahqo_ _Geinne_ hadn't overpowered you."

"I thought the Firstborn of Akatosh was destined to defeat the great tyrant," I scoffed, rolling my eyes at him. "After all, I have the all-powerful Mark of Akatosh..."

"You are the Firstborn! You can't just expect this great gift to come to you whenever you want. You're not ready... It won't reveal itself until the time is right. Have respect for your blessing!" Numinex growled menacingly, flinging open his eyes.

My heart raced in fear at the pair of fiery moons, and I stepped away from him. After a few heartbeats, I heard Numinex sigh through his nose. As the color of his eyes faded to their usual amber hue, he narrowed them to tiny slits.

"You have to believe me," he continued. "I understand this is hard for you, but whatever you do, you can't let this control you. This is Tahrodiisqosu'um's way..."

"What are you talking about?"

"He never intended to kill you at that execution. He sent Bruniikloksivaas not only to test you, but to spy on your family and friends. Once he had information, he set you up for an execution and waited for a volunteer. He probably thought your mother would have fought for you. She certainly looked like she would have..." Numinex explained. "Though your mate was another obvious choice. Bruniikloksivaas won't be happy that she died, but she wouldn't have taken him as a mate, anyway. ...I should've seen this coming. Tahrodiisqosu'um does this all the time..."

"But why?" I asked, closing my eyes as I struggled to dredge any reason for Tahrodiisqosu'um's actions from my mind. "Why not just get rid of me, especially if I'm destined to kill him?"

"Like all _dov_ , Tahrodiisqosu'um is attracted to power. If he can find a way to use it, he'll try to avoid getting rid of it. If the Firstborn were to be broken—"

"He could use me and not worry about dying," I finished, opening my eyes. "Even if I'm not the Firstborn, he still gains more power without risking his life. That's why he wanted the trial to be private, isn't it? He knew someone would challenge him!"

"Exactly! A smaller group of witnesses is easier to control. He didn't want others stepping in to help whoever volunteered. I just wish I'd thought about it before this happened..."

"It's not your fault," I replied. "...I have to kill Tahrodiisqosu'um, no matter what it takes. He'll pay for killing Brityolvahdin! My teeth to his neck!"

"But you can't do it now!" The gray-green _dovah_ hissed, eyes seeming to widen to almost twice their size. "You have to pretend he's broken you. If you lose control of your temper, he'll make sure you're executed. He won't let threats live..."

Numinex shuddered, his entire body quivering in the darkness. Though I could make out nothing more than a faint outline of him, I knew he was emanating panic.

"You might die, if you keep helping me..." I murmured, my voice barely audible. "So why are you?"

"I...I guess some things are worth dying for," he answered. "After all these years, I'm ready for the chance of a good ruler. Tahrodiisqosu'um has done worse things than you can imagine, Alduin. You're lucky compared to a lot of his victims. I've seen horrible things happen to so many who didn't deserve it! But now...there's hope..."

"Just tell me what to do," I growled. "Firstborn or not, I'm making sure Tahrodiisqosu'um never kills again. For my family! ...And Brityolvahdin..."

"There's one more thing." Numinex whispered haltingly. "Your family...Tahrodiisqosu'um won't just kill you, if you fail."

"Is that what happened to your family? Tahrodiisqosu'um—?" I broke myself off as soon as I caught the immediate pain in his eyes.

A long silence passed between us, followed by a heavy sigh from my company.

"What happened doesn't matter," he replied steadily. "If you want to convince Tahrodiisqosu'um when he comes to see you, I want you to act nervous. Whimper like a half-starved wolf. Obey the laws, and don't look anyone in the eyes. It's the only way to ensure you and the rest of your loved ones live. Do you understand?"

"Yes..." I nodded in agreement with the _dovah's_ words.

 _If it's the only way to save the rest of my family, so be it..._

"Good. Just don't be a fool..." The gray-green dragon closed his eyes, leaving me in darkness as he drifted into sleep.

* * *

 _"Drem-yol-lok, Alduin,"_ Tahrodiisqosu'um growled, a toothy smile on his maw as he stared at me from his position at the edge of the now open pit. "I hope that you slept well. It's going to be a busy day for you."

I never spoke, only gave a slight nod in reply. Quickly averting my gaze to the stone floor beneath me, I snarled inwardly.

Is this really the only way to do this? I probably could've leaped out and killed him. He's by himself, anyway.

The solitary stench of Tahrodiisqosu'um burned in both my mind and my nostrils. Not even _Sahqo Geinne_ had accompanied him on his visit to _Dur Ahzid._

 _He's so confident he broke me that he didn't even bother to bring at least one guard with him. Such arrogance!_

 _"Losei lir!_ You're a weakling! Pathetic!" he taunted. "You poor, miserable _dovah!"_

The vibration of the ground alerted me to his bulk landing on the pit's bottom. He stood only a dragon's length away from me, his fetid breath causing me to retch.

"Look at me!" he bellowed, and I felt the sharp sting of his wing-claw against my muzzle. "Look at me, serpent!"

Rubbing my fresh wound, I immediately obeyed.

The purple _dovah_ loomed over me, eyes gleaming like pools of bile. As I stared into his hateful gaze, I caught a glimmer of delight hidden within the poison-yellow depths.

 _By Akatosh, what has he got planned?!_

I wished to shake my head, to clear my mind of all of the horrible possibilities that could be awaiting me at the Throat. Guards pinning me to the snow, while they sank their fangs into the most sensitive areas of my body, Bruniikloksivaas branding me with a burn on my shoulder...

 _No, I wouldn't think I'm about to go through one of those punishments. They might be common, but Tahrodiisqosu'um would probably rather use me to do something. And it's most likely the worst thing I can imagine! No, not even that! It'll be the worst thing that I could never even fathom! ...Wait..._

"Your wounds!" I stared wide-eyed at Tahrodiisqosu'um's unmarred body.

The purple dragon displayed none of the deep gashes and bites he had received in his most recent battle. His once-torn wing-tip bore no sign of Brityolvahdin's fang-marks, and he stood stably on both of his legs.

 _But...but he has to have gotten a limp after that blow he took to his leg. He should be favoring the foot that wasn't injured! And where are the burn marks? His wing-tip—it isn't torn, like it should—_

"Never mind that," Tahrodiisqosu'um growled. "We have more important subjects to discuss. You are to be summoned back to the court today. The _Kruziikke_ will reinstate you back into training, and you will learn under my mentorship. You are to become one of my negotiates for the _sonaakke,_ the dragon-priests. If you cannot fulfill this role as I see fit, you will be immediately executed. The choice is yours, Alduin."

"Besides," he continued, running his tongue over his fangs, "your lover died in your place. It would be a shame to waste her gift to you."

 _It's a shame she died at all!_

The retort nearly flew out of my mouth like a dragon being released from _Dur Ahzid._ Clamping my tongue between my teeth, I reluctantly lowered my head into the bow of a truly vanquished _dovah._ Reddish-orange flames blazed through my heart, crackled in my bones as I struggled to keep myself from making direct eye contact.

 _He's so close...unguarded... It would be so easy. Just a bite to his throat would do it, or a quick_ thuum _to his eyes!_

The fire in my chest had spread to my eyes, smoldering around the edges of my vision. I closed them tightly and prayed for the intense burning around my sockets to flicker and die away like the torches I had seen the Nords carry.

 _"Don't be a fool..."_ The words droned endlessly through my head in Numinex's anxious whisper.

 _I can't let Tahrodiisqosu'um take advantage of me by having me start a fight. Especially not now. He'd kill me without a trial. I have to do this...for my family, my friends, anyone that I care about! Maybe he already knows, and maybe, just maybe..._

I envisioned the limp, bloody bodies of my parents slumped beneath Tahrodiisqosu'um's massive body. Eyes glazed in eternal fear, their corpses gazed emptily into me. And there...there lay Paarthurnax in a pool of the dark, sticky liquid only a wing-length away, belly slit to reveal a jumbled tangle of entrails. As his eyes began to close, I opened my mouth...but no wail reverberated in the air. Nothing.

 _Nothing except for the silence..._

"Is something wrong?" Tahrodiisqosu'um's deep-throated question jerked me into reality.

The purple _dovah_ had narrowed his eyes at me. His smug grin still remained on his muzzle, silently taunting—and warning—me.

 _"Go ahead; do it!"_

The unspoken words lingered in his poisonous gaze. Every one of his muscles had locked...ready for a fight to the death.

 _Am I being too obvious? Can he see the spirit I have left?_

I nodded meekly and averted my eyes from his menacing figure. After a few heartbeats, I heard him sigh through his nose.

 _Is that relief or annoyance? By Akatosh, if I could actually look at him, I wouldn't be worrying myself out of my mind!_

"Well?" the tyrannical dragon hissed. "Is there something I should know, Alduin?"

"N-no," I stammered, shaking my head. "Not at all."

"Good," came the rumbling reply. "As you will learn, no secrets are hidden from the _Kruziikke,_ especially not from me. We are a family. To deny your brothers and sisters if any crucial knowledge is to betray them, and you know what happens to traitors."

"They're executed." I scraped my wing-claw along the already-marred stone beneath me.

Wincing at the long, pale markings, I remembered my frantic pacing and scratching following my conversation with Numinex. He had offered to teach me how to act nervously, and I had eagerly accepted.

"I've seen you scratch at the ground. Do more of that, and you'll look like you're as frightened as an elk in a clearing full of wolves," the gray-green _dovah_ had advised. "Oh, but make sure you don't do it too often. And it needs to be randomized. Good, good. Now, hunch your shoulders..."

The commands now ran together in my mind, blurring my thoughts. Each one grasped for my attention, begged for remembrance as I stole a glance at Tahrodiisqosu'um. My stomach clenched, and I resisted the almost-overwhelming urge to vomit.

The purple dragon's shoulders had relaxed, though he still watched me intently, searching for any sign of fire in my demeanor.

"I am glad to see that you have used your time in _Dur Ahzid_ to reflect upon your choices. Joining the _Kruziikke..._ it is the greatest honor that a _dovah_ could ever receive. I trust Numinex has explained the error of your ways to you," Tahrodiisqosu'um nodded to the nervous dragon.

I turned to face the frail figure of Numinex lying against the stone wall. Wings covered over his head, he never bothered to glance at the purple _dovah's_ hulking form.

I _s he just pretending, or is he really that scared? Probably both..._

"He has. Indeed he has..." I whispered, stealing a glimpse of Tahrodiisqosu'um's piercing gaze before looking away.

"I am glad to hear that he has. He may be able to rejoin us, if there are enough votes to pardon him of his crimes. Follow me... I must present you to the others on time," he replied as he thrusted himself into the sky.

I quickly soared out of the pit, immediately inhaling deeply. The crisp, fresh air of the sunlit morning filled my lungs, and I suppressed a smile. _Dur Ahzid's_ dust and stagnant heat no longer shackled my senses, fading into nothingness as I followed Tahrodiisqosu'um to the Throat.

 _A_ dovah's _not meant to be crammed in a hole like that..._

I turned to catch a final glimpse of Numinex, squinting at a pair of blood-colored figures that had appeared above the pit containing the nervous dragon. Diving from the coverage of a cluster of fluffy clouds, they landed at the mouth of the prison. Even from a distance, I could faintly recognize the lean, well-muscled bodies of _Sahqo Geinne._

 _As if the color itself weren't enough! What are they going to do with him?_

The question burned in my head. What would they do to my insane prison-mate?

 _I hope they're not going to kill him! He may be insane, but at least he's been somewhat less intolerable than the others. And I don't think I can watch another killing right now, not so soon after..._

"Alduin, before we meet the others, you are going to make yourself look presentable. You cannot enter the Throat looking like a bruniik," Tahrodiisqosu'um growled as he led me through the skies. "We will land at the river beside the strunmah for you to wash your scales."

I nodded, allowing myself to exhale deeply...to cleanse my mind of the worries plaguing it. The purple _dovah_ was not incorrect in his observation; grains of dirt and stone had begun to form a thin layer on my wings and back, and tiny chips marred the surface of my claws. The reek of ash and death hung over me, and the brown and red stains of dried blood covered the areas around my wounds.

 _I probably shouldn't have pulled at those stitches as much as I did._

I glanced at the savage scars running along my belly. Although the Snow-elf healers had removed the stitches from my wounds, none of them had thought to clean the blood that stained my scales.

"And, Alduin, do not ruin this opportunity, because I can assure you that you won't have another," the _Kruziik_ snarled as we landed at the base of the mountain. "Now go and clean yourself. I'll wait for you here."

He sat with his back to the _strunmah,_ muscles tensed for a potential fight. His shoulder-spikes gleamed in the sunlight like brandished weapons, and his wing-claws sank into the grass, as if he were pouncing upon a prey animal.

 _That's what I am to him, anyway. Just something to kill..._

I made my way into the river, clenching my teeth at the chilly water. The clear, life-giving liquid did not have the bite of Bruniikloksivaas's frost breath, but I still had to keep myself from shivering.

Lumbering awkwardly to the shore facing the mountain, I wrinkled my nose. The acrid scent of blackened wood had drifted into my nostrils and only grew stronger as I stepped onto the leaf-strewn ground. Pale, ribbon-like trails of smoke rose from a couple of tiny plumes of reddish-orange flames. Animal-skin tents surrounded the fires, built at a safe distance to absorb the heat without being burned.

The camp's inhabitants dropped their work as soon as they caught sight of me. Pails of drinking water clattered to the ground, slabs of meat disappeared into open flames, and a young child whined as his mother allowed him to slide off of her lap onto the ground.

Immediately, the _joorre_ fell to the ground on their faces, murmuring words of admiration. I slowly approached them, smiling at their compliments.

"He's beautiful!"

"Does Akatosh himself grace us with his presence?!"

"Look at his scales! Flawless! And those eyes!"

"The image of perfection!"

The Nords' praises seeped into my heart, stirring the mysterious craving that had come over me on the northern shore.

Their words...I could decide whether they stand or bow. Whether they live or die...

"Excuse me..." The voice came as a faint whisper. "Would you like me to clean your wounds?"


	15. Chapter 14

"What?" I stared down at the voice's origin.

A female Nord stood before me, blonde hair tied out of her face with a thin strip of deer hide. Her pale blue eyes reminded me of the mountain flowers that bloomed in the plains west of the Throat. Clutching a large scrap of sabertooth fur with both hands, she crept toward me on quivering legs.

"Your wounds." She pointed at the dried blood staining my chest. "Would you...would you like them cleaned?"

"Oh..." I murmured, glancing behind my shoulder.

Tahrodiisqosu'um had not moved from the base of the mountain. Narrowing his eyes at me, he gave a deep huff and flicked his tail.

"Clean my wounds, _joor_!" I growled. "And be quick!"

The woman gave no reply, only bowed before walking to the river and dipping her rag into the frigid water. She hastily wrung her cleaning pelt, returning after only a couple of heartbeats.

"You're brave for speaking to a _dovah_ ," I whispered as she began her work. "What do you want from me?"

"I wanted to thank you," she answered. "The boy Miraak killed... He was my son. You getting him sent away was a blessing, but I wish you could've eaten him."

My mind conjured the image of the young boy standing before me, proclaiming what Numinex thought to be true:

 _"Behold_ _the_ _Firstborn_ _of_ _Akatosh!"_

"Did you believe he was right?" I stretched my wings into the crisp air, allowing them to cast my shadow upon the Nordic woman. "About this Firstborn of Akatosh?"

"I don't know. Never held much in prophecies." The woman shook her head as she continued to soak my wounds. "Maybe Ivaric was insane. Miraak complained about him often, and I think he was planning on sacrificing my son first chance he had."

"You're taking it well," I murmured, baring my teeth at the sting of the rough hide against a stitched wound. "Be careful! I don't want to have to be sewn up again."

"Sorry," she answered dully. "And I suppose so. I should've stayed in Atmora. Then, we wouldn't have been dragged into this."

"Why did you leave Atmora? From what I've heard, you had a good life there. No dragons live there anymore, and the priests probably don't make sacrifices without anyone to attend them."

"You're wrong about that. The sacrifices. True, there aren't as many, but they still exist. And a few of those dragons come over every year or so to participate in them." The woman pointed to Tahrodiisqosu'um. "Especially him. And...Atmora's dying."

"Dying?" I cocked my head at her. "What do you mean?"

"The weather...it's gone insane. Winters are becoming so long, we only have three months to grow anything at all. But I could've found enough for Ivaric and me...maybe could have boarded another boat if things became too bad."

"So that's why the Nords are coming over like this." I nodded at the rest of the pale creatures still lying on their stomachs before me. "They have no choice... I'm sorry this has happened to you. You don't deserve this...to live afraid of everything."

"You're one of the few who'd actually say that." She gave me a small smile. "I'm glad at least one dragon has a little bit of kindness—"

The woman dropped her scrap of hide and put her hands over her mouth. Quivering, she knelt onto the coarse grass into a bow.

"What?"

"I see you have found someone to help you clean your wounds." Tahrodiisqosu'um's foul breath assaulted my nostrils, and I gagged at the stench.

"Yes, I have," I replied, shakily dipping my head to the purple tyrant.

"And I see the proper respects have been paid to you," he continued. "You learned from your last encounter. But there are few things you lack. First." He threw his head into the sky and gave a deep bellow. "Always give them a roar to alert them of your presence. And should any of them fail to bow, you are to kill him...or her..."

The purple dragon narrowed his eyes at the woman lying on the ground before me.

"I demanded that she clean my scales," I answered. "She followed the proper protocol. I was oblivious. I apologize for this; haven't been trained in correct Nord etiquette."

"I already know that." Tahrodiisqosu'um huffed through his nose. "You can't even follow simple protocol such as this...or you won't. Tell me, Alduin, was I wrong in saving you?"

"N-No!" I stammered, mimicking Numinex's quivering stance. "I apologize sincerely for this. Please forgive me!"

"Good." The purple _dovah_ glared icily at the female Nord.

Heartbeats passed as he stared at her cowering form. His maw began to open to reveal his stained fangs, but he snapped them together on empty air. An odd light flickered in his poison-yellow eyes, and he shook his head. Giving a dismissive grunt, he launched himself into the sky.

I did not need a verbal command to know that I was to follow the leader of the _Kruziikke_. Without speaking, I joined him in flight.

 _What was all that about? Did he really just go back on a punishment?_

Tahrodiisqosu'um shot me a backwards glance, locking his eyes with mine. Though none of his teeth gleamed in the morning sunlight, his gaze burned with an unspoken threat.

 _He meant to do it all along. Why kill the Nord when he can make her submit with just the threat of doing it?_

"I've actually gotten a pleasant surprise for you, Alduin." The purple _dovah_ had returned his attention to the sky ahead of him. "It may help to...motivate you. You'll see after you've been reinstated into your training."

I narrowed my eyes at him as we approached the Throat of the World.

 _Surprise? More like a punishment! Or a threat. By Akatosh, I hope Bruniikloksivaas isn't going to be in charge of me again!_

"Once you've been reinstated into the _Kruziikke_ , you will be held to the standards of any other member. If you fail once more, we'll have no choice but to execute you," he continued. "Your lover have you a great gift, Alduin. Don't waste it."

 _It would've been a better gift if you had died!_

I opened my mouth but quickly closed it before any of the words forming in my mind could spring from my tongue. Quietly exhaling through my nose, I lifted my gaze to the towering Throat. Several _dov_ had already begun to assemble and were now sitting atop their perches.

A flash of gold announced the arrival of Bruniikloksivaas to the meeting. Wings spread in the sunlight, he soared around the peak until taking his place on top of a large boulder near Tahrodiisqosu'um's seat. As I drew closer to the mountaintop, I resisted the urge to spit fire at his head.

"...And it's time that pathetic _dovah_ knew it! By Akatosh, I don't know why Tahrodiisqosu'um wants to keep him. If it weren't for—"

"Bruniikloksivaas." The leader of the _Kruziikke_ landed before the golden _dovah_ , stirring tiny snow drifts with his feet and tail as his bulk hit the ground. "I see the members have been gathered."

The tyrant gave me a short nod, and I copied his action. As soon as my talons met the snow, I crept to the center of the open peak.

 _By Akatosh, Bruniikloksivaas could stop giving me that smug look!_

The corners of the golden dragon's maw had turned to form a crooked smirk, and his emerald-green eyes smoldered in their sockets. Bruniikloksivaas sank his wing-claws into the snow...

 _In and out. In and out. He knows something about this that I don't...or he's planning something again._

I winced at thought of the the sharp pain of those weapons digging into my flesh. Whatever punishment that Bruniikloksivaas had conjured for me would be unendurable.

 _And not because of the pain. I could go through that and more. But to see him smiling at me like that..._

Shaking my head, I turned my back to the shiny-scaled menace.

 _Don't think about it! Not here! You have to be smart about this. Listen to Numinex._

Narrowing my eyes at Tahrodiisqosu'um, I stood in the rigid pose of a member of the _Kruziikke_ as the purple dovah made his way to his seat.

 _I'm ready, Tahrodiisqosu'um. And this time, I won't make a mistake..._

"Members of the _Kruziikke_ , I present Alduin." The purple dragon boomed, his voice echoing around the mountain. "He is here to be reinstated into our ranks and to welcome the new blood joining him in training."

 _New blood?_

I glanced at the dragons who had been given the honor of sitting closest to the tyrant. All of them were staring at the wall of stone a short distance to my left: the continuation of the _strunmah's_ highest peak.

Two _dov_ stood in its shadows. Though crammed against the frigid rock, neither of them allowed their wingtips to touch each other.

 _Who are they?_

I cocked my head at the smaller of the two, a deep-red _dovah_. Scraping his black, crooked wing-claws in the snow, he stared sightlessly into the ground. He let out a huff, and a pillar of white vapor rose from his nose and into the air as he continued his work.

 _He looks about my age, but I don't remember seeing him on any hunts with other groups of_ dov. _Probably from some inferior family living in that northwestern corner. They don't normally hunt with us...or anyone. Too far away from the mammoths. Might also explain his looks._

Large, midnight-black spines rose steeply along the red dragon's back, and four small, slightly curved horns, bearing the same color, grew from his head. Deep violet splotches on his pale-gray wings shimmered in the sunlight: an obvious statement of his heritage.

 _That's not something you see around my home. Not usually, anyway. But for northwestern_ dov...

"Alduin, please give your testimony. Show the _Kruziikke_ that you are no mere beast. These two newcomers also need to learn how a true _dovah_ speaks." Tahrodiisqosu'um's deep voice snapped me from my thoughts. "You will be quite the example for them. Whether you give us a wise or foolish display of behavior, they can still learn from you."

 _Don't act defiant. Don't be a fool._

I inhaled deeply, allowing the frigid air to fill my lungs before taking a step toward Tahrodiisqosu'um. Dipping my neck in a bow, I allowed the sound of Bruniikloksivaas's honeyed voice to fill my mind.

"Distinguished members of the _Kruziikke_ , I have repented of my heinous crimes, and now, I humbly ask if I may wholeheartedly serve you," I answered as I rose from my sickening position. "I was wrong to challenge you, and I thank...I thank the _dovah_ who gave herself for my sake."

 _And I'll prove it by killing you!_

"So you have decided to make the right choice." Tahrodiisqosu'um narrowed his eyes at me. "I'm pleased to hear this, Alduin. Although only time will be able to show us whether you mean any of this or not, you may yet make a fine member of the _Kruziikke_ as a negotiate for the _sonaakke_. And now, my brothers and sisters, I call upon you to restore Alduin to his training status. He is now considered innocent of any legal crime, and we must acknowledge this truth. However..." The purple dragon gazed upon the group of _dov_ that he led. "Alduin does need someone to...look after him."

"I could watch him, if you wish," Bruniikloksivaas interjected.

 _Try it, worm!_

I felt my maw begin to part to reveal my fangs. After a couple of heartbeats, Tahrodiisqosu'um's poison-yellow gaze fell upon me. Snapping my jaws together, I gave him a quick bow.

"...You will do nothing with Alduin, Bruniikloksivaas," Tahrodiisqosu'um hissed as he lifted his head to face the golden _dovah_. "There are more important matters where you are needed, such as Numinex's trial. You are one of the witnesses."

"Of course." Bruniikloksivaas fell upon his stomach, almost knocking two other members of the _Kruziikke_ off of their perches as his wings stretched over the ground. Though he lay prostrate before the great tyrant, the pupils of his eyes had rolled to the top of his sockets.

 _"Sahqo Geinne_ will make sure that Alduin and our new blood have their needs met," Tahrodiisqosu'um finished.

 _You just want someone to keep us under control!_

The words lodged themselves in the back of my mouth, pressing against my tongue. Heaving through my nose, I struggled to keep them from springing into the crisp air.

 _I can't say whatever I want without thinking. If I do, my family will die with me. Besides, Yoldurkrii and Dinokviidostlun are less likely to murder me unless I break a rule...or Tahrodiisqosu'um changes his mind..._

"If no one has an objection to my suggestion, we will introduce our newcomers," the purple tyrant boomed, nodding to the pair of strangers. "They come from the _strunmahhe_ and icy coasts of our northwestern region. Both of them show promise in their skills. Members of the _Kruziikke_ , I present Vograhdinok."

 _"Vograhdinok..." Sounds familiar._

As the larger of the newcomers stepped into the sunlight and gave a respectful bow, whispers of gossiping elders filled my mind. His deep violet scales, darker than Tahrodiisqosu'um's, seemed to glow an odd, almost ethereal, pale blue. The four bluish-black horns growing from the sides of his head curved downward, reminding me of the strange, horned armor I had often seen Nordic warriors wear on their heads.

 _Helmets! That's what the_ joorre _call them! And those eyes!_

The balls of fiery magenta blazed with the brightness of lightning. Neither of them contained the black pupils of other _dov_. His large, ebony-black wings seemed to engulf the sky as he spread them, and the savage, black hooks serving as his wing-claws could easily cut through flesh...and bone.

Stomach churning, I took a step away from him. I had never had the opportunity to look at him closely, and now that I had met those pieces of magenta brimstone...

 _At least, I think they're brimstone. I know those aren't normal eyes! Wait...eyes that burn like fire... By Akatosh, it's Vograhdinok the Undertaker!_

Memories of afternoons spent with the gossips of my home filled my mind.

 _"He reeks of death!"_

 _"When he flies, he kills everything under his shadow—plants, animals, and even other_ dov!"

 _"I've heard he practices necromancy and uses the bodies of dragons for his experiments!"_

 _"Drem-yol-lok, Alduin,"_ Vograhdinok growled as he slowly approached me.

 _"Dream-yol-lok,"_ I replied, staring at the ground.

"...You know who I am, don't you?"

"Yes, I do. I'm sorry. I didn't mean—"

"Don't worry. I'm not offended," the undertaker interrupted. "You're actually among the braver _dov_ I've met. Most fly away as soon as they see me."

"So you...prepare the dead..." I lifted my gaze to meet his.

"I know you've heard several stories about me; you have that look. From what I've seen, plants and animals don't die under my shadow when I fly. But yes, I prepare the dead. An executed _dovah_...a youngling who died in a hunting accident... I do this service for the good of the _dov_. You seem somewhat rational. Maybe you'll have the sense to put aside the rumors circling me and work for the benefit of us all," he snarled.

"Of course," I answered, giving him a courteous nod.

Tahrodiisqosu'um cleared his throat, and I turned to face him. The tyrant's eyes had not locked onto me but the young dragon remaining to be introduced.

Though the focus of Tahrodiisqosu'um's attention, the stranger only continued his work of scarring the snow beneath his wing-claws.

"Odahviing, come and meet Alduin. Use your manners, or whatever you northwestern _dov_ have," he growled, flashing the red youngling an icy glare.

I could not help but smile as Odahviing rolled his eyes and gave a long, deep sigh as he obeyed the purple dragon's orders.

 _I'm surprised Tahrodiisqosu'um isn't trying to punish him for that. Then again, I wasn't killed on my first day, either, even after attacking Felbrombruniik. By Akatosh, I probably have scars all over my shoulders from him!_

 _"Drem-yol-lok, Alduin._ I'm Odahviing," the red _dovah_ murmured as he approached me.

I narrowed my eyes at him. Neither a smile nor frown graced his muzzle, but he dipped his head in the polite greeting bow of an unacquainted equal.

 _"Drem-yol-lok,"_ I replied, shifting my weight from my left leg to my right.

Oohdahviing said nothing, only quickly hummed and gave another nod before turning to face Tahrodiisqosu'um.

 _Strange for a_ dovah _to act that way, even if he's from the northwestern part of Skyrim._

"And now, members-to-be, I am pleased to introduce you to another _dovah_." Tahrodiisqosu'um's voice echoed around the mountaintop. "I told you that I had a surprise for you, Alduin. And I believe he's here..."

I glanced at the purple tyrant. Wings spread into the air, he towered over the other members of the _Kruziikke_ by a horn's length. A toothy grin spread across his muzzle as he nodded to the pale blue sky.

Circling above the _strunmah_ , four dragons gave signaling calls before diving toward the snow. Two blurs of blood-red landed in the center of the mountaintop's open area, followed by Numinex's bony form. The gray-green _dovah_ stuck out his uninsured foot to clutch the ground, but he stumbled as soon as his heel made contact with a small drift. He collapsed beside Yoldurkrii, gasping for air.

"Up, _bruniik_!" the assassin snarled, baring his fangs at the wounded dragon.

"I've...I've broken my leg. I won't be able to stand without...support." Numinex's reply came in a raspy whisper.

"You'll do as my brother says," Dinokviidostlun approached the gray-green _dovah_ , wing-claw raised. "Or do you want another wound?"

The roar of the fourth dragon rang in the air for a second time, and I snapped my gaze from _Sahqo_ _Geinne_ and their victim to the golden-brown figure swooping toward the Throat.

 _No! It can't be! Please! PLEASE!!!_

Paarthurnax landed only a muzzle-length away from me and smiled, though tears rimmed his sky-blue eyes.

 _"Drem-yol-lok,_ brother."


End file.
